Saskatoon police flying to London to learn about transit policing

In a few weeks, a couple of Saskatoon police officers could be boarding a flight for London, England, with the purpose of helping develop a local transit safety program.

This comes after city council requested the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) take the initiative of transit safety and create something unique for Saskatoon.

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SPS Chief Cameron McBride said the trip is not a “100 per cent” guarantee yet, but the service has committed to it “for the most part.”

The SPS has been researching transit safety models around the world, looking closely at ones that are well-documented, well-researched and proven to be effective.

“So, one of those is the London transit system,” he said.

According to McBride, London’s safety model already has an established legislative foundation, with protocols, policies and procedures.

“They have a very similar foundation to what we are seeking to achieve. Engagement with the community, collaboration with other service providers, just a very community-focused, community-minded initiative,” he said.

Plus, “we’ve been in communications with them, and they’ve been very, very helpful so far,” McBride said.

The two officers would be gone for “a brief period of time,” to observe, take part in and learn about London’s transit safety system, according to McBride.

Their knowledge will be used towards the development of a transit safety model for Saskatoon, “that is unique to Saskatoon, but built on best practice and a proven methodology,” he said.

SPS Chief Cameron McBride said the plan is to send two officers to England, as opposed to somewhere in Canada, posing the question of “why would we not set us up for the best opportunity at success, as opposed to going somewhere local just because they’re a neighbour?” (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

Why London?

McBride acknowledged some people may question the necessity of a trip to London, especially when several Canadian cities have established transit systems, like Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.

But, he said, Saskatoon deserves “the best model and the best transit policing program that we can provide,” and the way to do that is through a trip to London.

Also, “the cost differential from going to London to go to Montreal, say, is almost negligible,” according to McBride, although he wasn’t able to share the cost of this trip off the top of his head.

“If you priced out the cost of going to Toronto for one week and engaging with the Toronto Police Service or the Toronto Transit Safety System, and add about 10 per cent, that’s where we’re at,” he said.

When to expect a Saskatoon transit safety system

Currently, one senior SPS member has already been transferred into the role of developing the transit safety program, with the purpose of eventually becoming the program’s supervisor.

In terms of what the rest of the team will look like once established, McBride said funding from the City of Saskatoon will allow SPS to have eight police officers, a couple of vehicles and the necessary equipment for this program.

That will ensure “24/7-ish coverage,” according to McBride, with a greater focus placed on when buses are running.

While the SPS is still in the research phase of its transit policing operations, the program’s start date will largely depend on recruiting.

“But, we’re hoping to have a slow phase-in over the course of 2026 with a kind of full roll-out expected by (the) beginning of 2027,” he said.

Dozens more SPS officers coming summer 2026

McBride also provided an update on the SPS’s hiring of officers through the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) enforcement initiative.

The SCAN enforcement initiative, which had its funding allocated in the provincial government’s 2025-26 budget, provides the SPS with $1.85 million going towards the recruitment and retention of roughly 24 officers.

By Jan. 29, McBride said that 14 new officers had been hired within the SCAN funding program, while another 10 are currently in the Saskatchewan Police College.

The 24 officer positions are expected to be filled by the summer of this year, according to McBride.