Saskatchewan Marshals Service Faces Scrutiny as Member Investigated Before Official Launch

By Justin Heath

The Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS), a new provincial police force slated to enhance public safety across the province, is already grappling with controversy before it even becomes fully operational. Reports have surfaced that a member of the service is under investigation following a complaint lodged with the province’s Public Complaints Commission (PCC), raising questions about the readiness and oversight of the fledgling agency.

According to Brody Ratcliffe, communications manager for the SMS, the unnamed member has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. No details about the nature of the complaint or when it was filed have been disclosed, with Ratcliffe stating that the service will refrain from further comment until the probe is complete. This development, reported on April 12, 2025, comes as the SMS prepares to swear in its first class of marshals on April 24 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, with operations expected to begin this summer—a full year ahead of the original 2026 timeline.

The SMS was announced in 2022 by the Saskatchewan government as a means to bolster policing, particularly in rural areas, with a mandate to tackle high crime rates, combat gangs, address illegal weapons, apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants, and investigate agriculture-related offenses like cattle theft and trespassing. With an annual budget projected at $20 million once fully operational and plans to employ 70 officers by the end of 2026, the service is pitched as a complement to the RCMP and municipal police forces, not a replacement.

However, the news of a complaint against one of its members before the service has even launched has amplified existing criticisms. The Saskatchewan NDP has repeatedly called the SMS wasteful and expensive, accusing it of poaching experienced officers from other police services, potentially weakening existing forces. Nicole Sarauer, the NDP’s critic for corrections, policing, and public safety, has argued that the funds allocated to the SMS—$7 million in the 2024-25 provincial budget alone—would be better spent bolstering the RCMP or addressing root causes of crime.

The timing of the investigation is particularly striking, as it follows closely on the heels of another high-profile police-related complaint in Saskatchewan. On April 4, Regina Police Chief Farooq Sheikh was sidelined after a separate complaint to the PCC, with Deputy Chief Lorilee Davies stepping in as acting chief. The fact that two significant investigations are underway within the province’s policing community in such a short period has raised eyebrows and intensified scrutiny of the SMS’s early steps.

Critics, including the National Police Federation, which represents RCMP officers, have long expressed concerns about the SMS, citing a lack of transparency, unclear oversight, and the risk of duplicating existing services. A letter signed by nearly 90 municipalities last summer urged the province to pause funding for the SMS until broader consultation could address these issues. The federation’s president, Brian Sauvé, has called the service an unnecessary strain on resources, arguing that investing in established forces like the RCMP would yield faster, more effective results.

Supporters of the SMS, including Chief Marshal Robert Cameron, maintain that the service will fill critical gaps in policing, particularly in rural and high-crime areas. Cameron has emphasized the SMS’s commitment to collaboration with the RCMP, municipal police, and First Nations communities, as well as its rigorous hiring process, which prioritizes experienced officers. Yet, the current investigation casts a shadow over these assurances, prompting questions about the service’s internal processes and accountability measures before it even hits the ground.

The Public Complaints Commission, tasked with investigating complaints against municipal police, conservation officers, and now SMS members, operates independently with five non-police members. While details remain scarce, the investigation’s outcome will likely be closely watched, as it could set the tone for public trust in the SMS as it moves toward its summer launch.

For a service not yet operational, the emergence of a complaint against one of its members is a troubling signal. As the Saskatchewan Marshals Service prepares to take on its ambitious mandate, this early misstep underscores the challenges of building a new police force from scratch—especially under the intense public and political scrutiny it already faces.

Justin Heath

Justin Heath is a  freelance writer for Veritas Expositae

You can reach him at justin.heath@veritasexpositae.com