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The Government of Saskatchewan says a bigger budget will translate into more highway patrol officers on the road around the province in the year ahead.
The Saskatchewan Highway Patrol saw its funding increase from $7.8 million up to $8.5 million in the recent provincial budget. The Ministry of Community Safety said that will mean more enforcement on the roads, as the $713,000 funding bump allows for the hiring of five new officers.
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The ministry said the bigger budget will strengthen the police force’s efforts to disrupt organized crime, prevent trafficking in drugs and illegal tobacco, recover lost tax revenue and step up both vehicle inspections and proactive patrols.
“Keeping Saskatchewan strong, safe and secure means ensuring we have the right people and the right tools to deter unsafe driving and criminal activity on our highways,” Community Safety Minister Michael Weger said in a statement.
“This investment strengthens enforcement and supports the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol in protecting Saskatchewan families, communities and roadways.”
Over the most recent fiscal year, the provincial government said highway patrol officers seized nearly 30 million unstamped cigarettes, inspected more than 8,000 commercial vehicles — “with just under 30 per cent resulting in commercial vehicles being taken out of service due to mechanical defects” — and issued more than 4,000 tickets for commercial vehicle issues.
“This investment gives our officers the resources they need to do what they do best, protect Saskatchewan,” Saskatchewan Highway Patrol superintendent Greg Park said in a statement.
“With more enforcement capacity on our highways, we can ensure unsafe vehicles are removed from the road, respond faster to calls for assistance and disrupt criminal activity that tries to move through our province.”
