Swift Current and Southwest Saskatchewan is going to be getting a whole lot tougher on criminals with an additional two forensic officers and a canine unit locating to Swift Current.
The additional manpower was announced for Swift Current last Friday, and Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Yogi Huyghabaert said this is just another initiative towards a goal of building safer communities.
"One way of doing that is increasing the numbers of police on the streets. We promised we would put 120 more police on the streets in our four year mandate and we have reached the halfway point in out mandate and we have reached the halfway point in our commitment of adding 120 police officers.""
I believe there is a real need for services here in Swift Current to assist all of the Southwest and the announcement today of two forensic and one canine unit will greatly add to the security and even the confidence of the people of Swift Current and the Southwest knowing that there is more capability in the area by our police force."
Huyghebaert said the new officers are actually replacing the staffing levels which were once stationed in Swift Current.
"We provide the resources to the RCMP and let the RCMP decide where they are best needed and best utilized."
The addition of a canine unit is something that has never been available in Swift Current.
"The area of the Southwest was without forensic capability and there was no canine capability here. I believe the addition of these particular resources is very, very important to the Southwest."
Dale McGowan, Commanding Officer "F" Division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that the addition of two forensic officers is actually bringing back a service that was once here.
"There was that capacity here at one time. We did have 'Ident' officers here on the ground. Over the course of the years they were placed elsewhere. the demand was higher in other areas and it is a tough thing to put a limited amount of resources in areas so they were moved out some time ago."
"Now that we are moving forward and we are getting some increased levels of resourcing throughout the province we are able to re-establish that and get that forensic footprint back here."
Quicker response in certain situations is why it is important that the RCMP in Swift Current have a canine unit.
"With the dog, there were business cases that were submitted to me by the operational people on the ground as to where there was a need; where is this police service dog best located and this area here with the highways and other things,"
"The presence of a dog was handled by the headquarters in Regina before and so it is just better in timeliness and our ability to respond is quicker and as you know, tracks do decay and you have to be fairly timely when you do hit them."
The forensic personnel are in Swift Current to assist the present RCMP staff with their investigations.
"It is all dependent on the number of crimes. These are crime scene investigators. The level of crime and the number of break and enters and property offenses that they might run in to are pretty static in the area."
McGowan feels that by have the forensic people in Swift Current will assist the present members with their availability and closeness of proximity.
"We wouldn't necessarily have called in crime scene investigators if it was minor in nature but as of now they are here and they are just across the street and they can support the investigators that are on the ground."
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is pleased with the increased protect that Southwest Saskatchewan will be receiving.
"These are some of the police services that we used to have in the region, and we had lost them over the years past, and so it is nice to reinvest back into regions like the southwest."
"We always talk about highways and infrastructure and making that investment and that is important but this is about security for people businesses and their homes and for our families."
"So to have more investigation capacity which may be shared with other parts of the province but based in Swift Current and more protection with respect to a canine unit it is very positive."
