Saskatchewan RCMP responded to over 239,000 calls for service last year alone across the province.
According to Sgt. Paul Dawson, F Division media relations officer, the calls are often diverse in nature.
"While the public often realizes the role of police in traffic enforcement and investigation of criminal offences, this is only one part of our job on a day-to-day basis," Dawson says.
"Many calls for assistance and/or investigations are carried out by the RCMP unbeknownst to the public."
All complaints require follow up by the assigned officer to report on the action taken and may include referral and follow up from policing partners.
To illustrate the variety of complaints from just one category, Dawson has detailed calls reported to RCMP detachments in Saskatchewan over the past week. Often, some seemingly simple calls for service (like animals on the highway) can lead to serious public safety issues for the public, he adds.
Jan. 7 - 7:28 a.m.: three horses reported to be on Highway 10 just east of Yorkton.
Jan. 7 - 10:46 a.m.: complaint of three dogs running loose and barking constantly in Green Lake.
Jan. 7 - 11:11 a.m.: request to locate a big dog thatwas running loose near the community of La Loche.
Jan. 7 - 8:37 p.m.: request to investigate the circumstances involving an injured dog in Kamsack.
Jan. 8 - 12:09 p.m.: request to put down a dog that had been severely injured after being struck by a car in Beauval.
Jan. 8 - 12:28 p.m.: request to attend to an injured dog in a ditch, approximately eight kilometres west of Broadview.
Jan. 8th - 6:34 p.m.: request to attend to an injured deer on the side of Highway 39 near Weyburn.
Jan. 8 - 11:05 p.m.: request to locate a missing and ill dog that had wandered off near the community of Marshall.
Jan. 9 - 12:45 a.m.: report of coyotes and dogs barking and an unknown male yelling at the animals in North Battleford.
Jan. 9 - 6:34 a.m.: report of a dead deer on Highway 10 in the eastbound lane and that another vehicle had run over the same deer in Fort Qu'Appelle.
Jan. 9 - 6:11 a.m.: report of a dead deer on Highway 8 near Moosomin.
Jan. 9 - 7:40 p.m.: report of a lost cocker spaniel puppy in Canoe Narrows.
Jan. 10 - 9:00 a.m.: report of an aggressive dog reported to Canora detachment.
Jan. 10 - 6:05 p.m.: report of an aggressive dog in North Battleford.
Jan. 10 - 8:14 p.m.: report of a found dog turned in to Nipawin detachment.
Jan. 11 - 6:46 p.m.: report of a barking dog that sounds as though its distressed, caller concerned about the dog's well-being in Yorkton.
Jan. 11 - 5:00 p.m.: report of a mistreated dog that looks like it is always cold near Estevan.
Jan. 11 - 10:06 p.m.: report of a strange puppy that had attended a residence in Kamsack.
Jan. 12 - 11:00 a.m.: report of two horses that were loose in Swift Current.
Jan. 12 - 1:30 p.m.: report of a wandering cow near Lake of the Rivers.
Jan. 12 - 7:12 p.m.: deer struck byvehicle on Highway 16 needed to be put down near Mozart.
Jan. 13 - 7:53 a.m.: deer struck byvehicle on Highway 11 needed to be put down near Dundurn.
Jan. 13 - 7:54 a.m.: deer struck byvehicle on Highway 7 near Delislecaused property damage to vehicle. Deer ran away.
