Does the Saskatchewan Marshals Service need its own tactical unit?

Does the Saskatchewan Marshals Service need its own tactical unit?

1 expert says questions need and says outfitting unit could cost millions

The Saskatchewan Marshals Service is in the early stages of establishing its own tactical unit, complete with sniper rifles, night vision goggles and long-range acoustic devices (LRAD).

Chief Marshal Robert Cameron said the unit, which is being referred to as a serious response unit (SRU), has always been part of the plan for Saskatchewan's newest police service.

"The SRU would support our main mandate to and specific to the Marshal Service itself, is the pursuit of those that are wanted on warrants or prolific offenders or people involved in high-impact and high-risk crime," Cameron said in an interview this week.

The marshals launched in May 2025 with a mandate to help other policing agencies fight rural crime, gangs and drugs. It also was given the responsibility of arresting high-risk offenders with outstanding warrants.

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Building a tactical unit from the ground up presents a "unique opportunity" for the marshals, Cameron said.

One criminologist said the organization should consider publically justifying the need for the tactical unit.

Amin Asfari is the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies in the criminology department at the University of Regina.

Asfari says the marshal's SRU would replicate services already provided by the the Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service, Prince Albert Police Service and Saskatchewan RCMP, each of which have their own tactical units.

"I question the need for one, really where there can be collaboration between them and the RCMP as well as these municipal agencies," Asfari said.

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Asfari said a tactical unit is not required every day, and that the cost of gear and training could potentially reach millions of dollars.

"I'm just not sure if the cost-benefit makes sense," Asfari said.

Among the equipment included in a tender for the planned SRU were sniper rifles, remotely operable hydraulic breaching tools, thermal cameras, night vision goggles, ballistic helmets and shields, as well as long-range acoustic devices (LRAD).

Cameron said the LRAD is tool used across the country by different police services.

"It's primarily used in law enforcement in Canada for the purpose of transmitting messaging," Cameron said.

Saskatoon police confirmed the service has its own LRAD. Regina police and the RCMP have confirmed they do not.

Asfari said LRADs, which transmits high-decibel focused sound waves, can be used to transmit messages, but can also be used to disperse crowds. That can have unintended consequences, and there have been instances where it has physically harmful those who are not necessarily the intended target, Asfari said. LRADs can broadcast sound at levels that can damage hearing.

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Asfari questioned why an LRAD is necessary if the marshals are meant to serve rural Saskatchewan.

"I don't see a particularly useful application for this thing," he said. "It would behoove the agency to kind of tell the citizens what they intend to use this for."

When asked about the LRAD, Cameron stressed that the SRU is still in its very early stages.

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He would not even go as far as to confirm whether the SRU would be housed at the marshals headquarters in Prince Albert.

"We haven't purchased any equipment and we haven't confirmed what exactly we're going to purchase or not purchase at this point in time," Cameron said.

The tender for the unit's equipment closed on Tuesday.

Cameron said there will be a "significant amount of time" before the SRU is up and running.

The Official Opposition has already slammed the decision, saying it wants to know the cost of equipment and how the items fit into the marshals' mandate.

Hugh Gordon, the NDP's critic for community safety and a former RCMP officer, said the specialized equipment will have a significant dollar figure and will require specialized training.

"Some of it seems to be justified, but some of the other stuff, like the ballistic helmets, the shields, the sound cannon, a lot of this appears to be like they're going to be the first people through the door," Gordon said.

NDP says Saskatchewan Marshals Service is poaching officers from RCMP, municipal police forces

The Saskatchewan NDP has criticized the marshals service since it was first announced by the provincial government.

In June, the Opposition accused the marshals of poaching officers from other police agencies instead of recruiting and training its own members.

Weger told the legislature during spring estimates on April 13 that, other than two officers currently going through police college, "all of the existing marshals have been lateral hires."

The marshals service is aiming to have 70 employees.

Alexander Quon is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. He has been a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan since 2021 and is happy to be working in his hometown of Regina after half a decade in Atlantic Canada. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in freedom of information requests and data reporting. He can be reached at: alexander.quon@cbc.ca.