Saskatchewan marshals special unit paused, new gear purchase called off: minister

The Saskatchewan government has halted a plan to purchase high-tech equipment and further develop its marshals service’s specialized response unit, according to the province’s community safety minister.

A bid request posted online in late July showed that the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) requested items, including night vision goggles, sniper rifles and a multi-shot launcher, for the specialized unit. In a statement Monday, the service said no equipment had been purchased yet , noting that the response unit was incorporated into its current budget.

In a statement Friday, Saskatchewan Minister of Community Safety Michael Weger said he has told the provincial police service to put a stop to that development and any purchases.

“I have told the Saskatchewan Marshals Service to pause the development of the Specialized Response Unit. There will be no equipment purchased for this unit,” Weger’s statement reads.

“The Marshals’ focus going forward will be on working alongside the Saskatchewan RCMP, Municipal and First Nations police forces to strengthen community safety and protect residents across the province.”

The SMS was introduced in 2022 by the province as a means to provide additional law enforcement, proactively investigate and support local police, the province said in a news release in November of that year . It expected the service to be operational with an annual cost of approximately $20 million in the mid-to-late period of this year.