Saskatchewan marshals special unit paused, new gear purchase called off: minister
No equipment has been, or will be, purchased for the Saskatchewan Marshals Service's specialized response unit, according to the province's minister of community safety.
The Saskatchewan government has halted plans to purchase high-tech equipment and further develop its specialized marshals response unit, according to community safety minister Michael Weger. The Saskatchewan Marshals Service had requested items such as night vision goggles, sniper rifles and a multi-shot launcher for the specialized unit, but no equipment has been purchased yet.
The SMS incorporated the response unit into its current budget, and Weger told the service to stop development and any purchases. Weger claims he was unaware of the SMS’s work developing the unit at a briefing and has directed the marshals to pause any planning regarding the specialized response unit. The SMS chief also stated he was unaware of the work.
Weger believes the SMS, and specifically the employee who submitted the request for bids, got "overly ambitious" in starting the process of a specialized response unit when the service was not ready for it. The Opposition NDP associate shadow minister for community safety, Hugh Gordon, criticized the government for putting the cart before the horse and slammed the decision as a waste of time and resources that could have been used to support recovery programs, tackle gangs, support victims or address staffing shortages.
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