The Saskatchewan government has announced a new plan to deal with border security between the province and the United States with their Saskatchewan Border Security Plan (SBSP).
The plan will allow the Ministry of Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety to mobilize Provincial Protective Services (PPS) officers to assist provincial police services and federal agencies in boosting law enforcement near the border.
"Our government is taking immediate steps to increase border integrity, ensuring the Saskatchewan-US border is secure and our communities are safe," said Premier Scott Moe. "We are redeploying 16 provincial law enforcement officers to patrol high-priority areas around the border. We are also prepared to mobilize up to 95 total officers to address emerging incidents should they arise."
Those 16 officers will be redeployed from conservation, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, and canine-handler teams to regularly conduct patrols and take part in public safety campaigns near the border. Some of the resources the province is giving the officers includes a mobile command unit, up to 16 patrol cars with license plate readers, and more specialized equipment such as drones, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and three planes.
The province will also offer the ability of surge capacity of up to 95 officers to support federal border agencies if significant illegal activity is found at the border.
Other options the province will explore include creating a Border Integrity and Intervention Team with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service, expanding the mandate and complement of the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Teams (STRTs), and prioritizing the enforcement efforts of STRTs and other enforcement teams where required.
"Members of our Provincial Protective Services team will work with existing federal and provincial agencies to strengthen border security through high visibility surveillance, commercial vehicle enforcement and remote area patrols," said Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod. "This approach builds on the already strong enforcement work that is being done across the province."
The province states that the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP Federal Enforcement Section will continue to have direct enforcement responsibility for securing Canada's borders with the PPS officers not assuming any federal border enforcement responsibilities.
They will only patrol within interprovincial borders and areas north of the Saskatchewan-US border, successfully complementing federal enforcement efforts to help protect Saskatchewan's border from domestic and international threats.