the invitation of infamous convicted murderer colin thatcher by government mla lyle stewart, who died last month , severely undermined the crime-fighting theme. but the announcement of a proposed marshals service was supposed to buttress the government’s credibility on crime.
feeling a threat to its right flank after a surprisingly strong showing by buffalo in the 2020 election, the government came up with the saskatchewan marshals service, but struggled to explain why and what the new force would do.
the buffalo party has since dissolved into irrelevance, but the questions and uncertainty about the marshals remain.
but a recent letter to premier scott moe suggests support is wavering in his government’s base outside regina and saskatoon.
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the government will likely shrug if saskatoon , which boasts its own municipal police force, opposes the marshals service.
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yet few people living in any community in the province likely quibble with the need to address crime in saskatchewan, which continues to lead all provinces with the worst crime severity index . the provincial severity numbers are far higher than in either regina or saskatoon.
seven years ago, the saskatchewan party government came up with what it touted as a new strategy to address rural crime that sounds somewhat like the marshals service. it was also criticized.
since wyant, who is now running for saskatoon mayor with a “safe streets” slogan, announced the initiative, saskatchewan’s crime severity index and violent crime severity index have risen significantly.
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