REGINA - The New Democrats were pledging to get tough on crime on the frontlines at an announcement in Regina Monday.
NDP leader Carla Beck accused Scott Moe of dragging Saskatchewan into “last place when it comes to public safety,” as she announced the NDP would hire at least an additional 100 RCMP officers. In making the announcement she said that was something the Sask Party had failed to do in government.
“While Scott Moe and the Sask Party have promised to support and deliver the hiring of 100 RCMP officers, they failed on that front as well, like so many others. I'm committed today that a Saskatchewan NDP government would work as partners with the RCMP to ensure that those 100 additional RCMP officers are actually hired.”
Beck pledged an NDP government would be “full partners and work with them to address the challenges that they've faced when it comes to recruitment. We would make serving in Saskatchewan appealing for new officers by ensuring that they have the resources that they need and are supported in their communities. This is critical.”
Beck, who made her announcement in front of Regina Police Service headquarters, also again hammered Moe on the proposed Marshals’ service.
“It's clear that our police officers need more resources. But instead of giving those needed resources to frontline officers, Scott Moe and the Sask Party launched their pet Marshals’ project, a service that RCMP officers and over 100 municipalities oppose because it's going to draw even more attention away from frontlines and communities. In fact, Scott Moe and the Sask Party have already spent over $14 million but have yet to deliver a single additional officer to our communities.”
She noted that even in a best-case scenario with the Marshal’s service, there would not be “a single boot on the ground, a single officer on the ground until 2026.”
“This is a government that simply doesn't listen on this front and so many others. Our plan again has been built with the input of communities, of those on the front line, listening to those nearly 100 municipalities who have said we don't need a Marshal's plan -- we need investments in municipal police forces. That's what our plan addresses.”
The latest NDP announcement was more or less a followup of their previous campaign announcement in late August, where Beck rolled out the party's public safety plan. At that time she promised to scrap the Marshal’s service and redirect funds to hire local police officers, as well as offer rebates for the installation of security cameras, alarms and lights.
Meanwhile the Saskatchewan Party has been lambasting the NDP plan on public safety throughout this election, in particular taking aim at their pledge to scrap the Marshal’s service.
Last week in Prince Albert, Scott Moe accused the NDP of having “already committed to cutting police officers, police officers that keep our communities including this community of Prince Albert, safe.”
He accused the NDP of “going to replace those police officers with doorbell cameras. And I would ask and implore you to walk down the street of Prince Albert, Saskatoon or Regina, and say ‘you know we’re going to take away some of your police officers but we’re gonna find a doorbell camera for your home, that’s going to keep you safe.’ Saskatchewan people know it isn’t true.”
Prior to the election, the Sask Party’s Paul Merriman had appeared in several Saskatchewan communities making announcements on $17.1 million the government is committing towards to safer communities and neighborhoods, including the hiring of new frontline police officers in Regina, Moose Jaw, Weyburn and Estevan.
