MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) presented its 2025 budget request during city council’s Jan. 15 budget meeting, with councillors questioning the agency’s proposed expenses and recruitment efforts.
The police service is asking for operating funding of $13,155,774 this year, which is an increase of $909,871 — or 7.43 per cent — over last year. It is also asking for capital funding of $344,000.
Recruitment
The MJPS has an authorized strength of 64 officers — it currently has 58 members — although that number will increase to 72 with the eight provincially funded positions, said Acting Chief Rick Johns.
The agency has instituted “a fairly robust strategy” to encourage candidates to apply while continuing to focus on future recruitment to address the loss of members through attrition and retirement, he continued.
The MJPS will work closely with the provincial government to fill those positions and with the Saskatchewan Police College (SPC) to acquire training spaces, the acting chief noted.
The police service is also working to attract experienced members from other agencies in Saskatchewan and across Canada through transfers to fill those eight positions as quickly as possible, Johns said.
While there is competition with the provincial marshals’ services for members, other municipal policing agencies that received similar funding from the Saskatchewan government are also recruiting, he continued.
“We’re just going to continue to work to attract people and advocate for space in the college,” added Johns.
Financial matters
Coun. Jamey Logan inquired about why the training and education expense category had increased to $180,000 from $100,000. Johns replied that the MJPS has an incentive program that encourages members to further their education in policing. Moreover, that line item includes funding for members to attend meetings outside of Moose Jaw.
Lisa Renwick, the MJPS’s finance officer, said it costs the agency roughly $10,000 per officer to send them to college. So, the MJPS bumped the training and education expense by $80,000 in hopes of acquiring more spots in the SPC.
Coun. Chris Warren asked why revenues were increasing this year by $997,700 over 2024 levels and whether that was connected to the eight new provincially funded members.
Renwick replied that she budgeted $747,700 from April — the start of the province’s fiscal year — to December for the eight new positions, while she included $250,000 in revenue from the federal government for a partnership with the RCMP.
“When officers are starting with training and probation, it’s (the salaries) a set amount from the government,” she continued.
“It will cover their salaries and benefits up to a certain time (and) then it will cost us because it won’t cover everything. Some (money) will (eventually) come out of our operating because of the salary increases.”
The agency also plans to spend an extra $924,187 in salaries this year because it is a young force and 25 members will advance up the salary grid, Renwick added. However, a small portion of the increase is due to collective agreement clauses.
Council also inquired about the MJPS’s capital reserve, software costs, retirement top-ups and the 911 service.
Police leadership said the capital reserve contains $80,219 and will be used for projects this year; computer software expenses are increasing to $188,000 from $78,000 due to licensing fees for programs; and janitorial supplies are increasing to $10,000 from $8,000 because the organization underbudgeted last year.
Also, retirement gratuities are increasing to $80,000 from $60,000 because four people retired last year — two were unexpected — and anyone with 25 years of service who leaves receives a gift, and, the agency is paying $231,800 to cover the 911 system because Ottawa has downloaded that cost onto the organization.
Johns noted that it could be this year or next year when the provincial government potentially funds this cost, which the federal government has always paid because it’s a national service.
