Police chiefs, their assistants and commanding officers from the RCMP converged on Weyburn on Apr. 16 and 17 for the provincial spring conference, hosted by the Weyburn Police Service.
Police chiefs, their assistants and commanding officers from the RCMP converged on Weyburn on Apr. 16 and 17 for the provincial spring conference, hosted by the Weyburn Police Service.
The chiefs were immersed in business meetings all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and a formal mess dinner was held on the Tuesday evening, with a number of dignitaries present, including Mayor Debra Button, cabinet ministers and MLAs, and various law enforcement officials.
The president of the Saskatchewan Association of Police Chiefs, Chief Troy Hagen of the Regina Police Service, said the group of police leaders were able to have a very productive couple of days at the conference.
"We dealt with a number of issues," said Hagen, noting as an example, in the area of police weapons, they talked about "conductive energy weapons", also known as "tasers", for which training is undergoing at the current time.
"We heard from the government on a number of issues, such as building partnerships for safer communities, and working in a collaborative way," he said.
On the economics of policing and police costs, Hagen said they didn't discuss this with the government, but there were a lot of discussions amongst themselves on the issue.
"We did have discussions around the economics of policing, and we're going to hear a lot more about that at the annual national conference to be held in August in Winnipeg," said Hagen.
"I know our police chiefs work hard every day to be as cost-efficient as possible. There are ongoing discussions regarding the economics of policing and working collaboratively in sharing the best practices," he added.
Hagen also noted these meetings were more focussed on policies and the "higher level views of policing", rather than the operational side of police departments, such as trends in crime.
There are a number of committees of the association that do deal with these operational issues, and are often handled by the deputy chiefs of police and their assistants.
While the formal meetings are valuable for sharing of information, he said, "but there's also lots of networking and discussions happening informally," said Hagen.
"The policing leadership community is very strong and very united in their desire to keep communities safe," he added.
At the formal mess dinner held the evening of Apr. 16, the gathered police chiefs and officers were addressed by a number of dignitaries, including Mayor Debra Button, who extolled the friendly hospitality of Weyburn in welcoming the organization, and Christine Tell, minister of Corrections and Policing.
"It's a challenging time for policing in Saskatchewan as it continues its unprecedented growth. Our government is making public safety a top priority," she said.
"With rising police costs and the changing nature of crime, we're building a plan to reduce crime, and ensure Saskatchewan continues to be a safe place to live and work," she added.
The minister noted that police in the province are seeking alternatives to traditional methods of policing, for example, like special constables who can take on bylaw enforcement to free up police officers for their investigations.
"With your government, you know where my support is. This government is supportive; we continue to support police in their work to keep our communities safe," said minister Tell.
Attorney-General Gord Wyant echoed her comments, saying, "I appreciate the role of the local police in maintaining safe communities. We can reduce the rate of crime in our communities."
Vice-chief Simon Bird of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations also addressed the group.
"It's very humbling to be here with Saskatchewan's law enforcement community. I emphasize the treaty relationship we have with law enforcement," he said.
Bird added that this relationship is "something we should continue to celebrate", to maintain a common front between First Nations and non-First Nations peoples.
"We're all in this together," he said, pointing out that it means a lot for young aboriginals to be able to look up to good role models in the police force.
The association president, Chief Hagen, said the gathering of law enforcement officials was a "unique environment" that is due to "the collaborative way we work together", including police officers, MLAs, ministers and support staff.
Noting "challenging times ahead" for the policing community, Hagen said, "I can tell you the leadership in the province is committed to providing the best service we can for the money. I know the chiefs believe we have the best police system in Canada. We have lots to build on, and it's important we build on what we have."
The association's executive director is Bill Millar, a former police chief and officer in Weyburn, and Hagen noted Millar and current chief Marlo Pritchard were instrumental to bringing the conference to Weyburn and doing the hard work that goes with it.
Millar was one of the recipients of the Queen's Jubilee medal at the banquet, and Hagen thanked Millar for his five years of service as the executive director of their association.
"Without his wisdom and the respect he brings and support, I know the association would not be where we are in leading progressive change in the province," said Hagen, leading the group to give Millar a standing ovation for his ongoing contributions to the association.
