SASKATCHEWAN — More than 70 per cent of Saskatchewan RCMP detachment areas with populations over 1,000 have recorded a Crime Severity Index (CSI) surpassing the national average for 2025, according to data released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics.
The data shows that 60 out of 84 Saskatchewan RCMP detachment areas with populations over 1,000 are above the Canadian CSI of 75.01. The overall provincial CSI stands at 146.64.
Of these 60 detachment areas, 11 report scores more than 10 times the national index. Additionally, 25 of the detachments exceeding the national CSI are located in northern Saskatchewan.
“As Saskatchewan’s provincial police service, we have an obligation to make every effort to enhance our service delivery to combat crimes and continue to evolve with the changing policing environment,” said Superintendent Amber Clark with Saskatchewan RCMP in a statement Wednesday.
“That's why we're not standing still,” she added. “We're modernizing how we police, investing in intelligence-led approaches, and strengthening partnerships to target prolific offenders, disrupt drug networks and continue focusing on our core mandate: community safety.”
To that end, the Saskatchewan RCMP has already begun rolling out a series of strategic measures aimed at tackling the high crime severity reflected in the data.
These crime realities must be met with impactful, meaningful action, say Saskatchewan RCMP.
Rotational Drive-in Models
Saskatchewan RCMP is implementing “Rotational Drive-in Models” where police service delivery modernizations are being tested to ensure adequate staffing levels and effective policing methods.
This includes creating a hub and satellite detachments within Pelican Narrows, and surrounding detachment areas, which the RCMP say strengthens the police presence in the communities, increases resources in each detachment area, and ensures officers have access to the backup they need to respond safely and effectively to calls for service.
This rotational model enables officers to live in the Saskatoon area and report for duty in their respective community, rotating between two teams every eight days. During the eight days of being on duty, they reside in the communities they are serving. Previous analysis of similar rotational models in other Saskatchewan detachment areas has shown reduced staffing and workload strains, enhanced policing service and more community engagement.
Additionally, communities have provided feedback noting that this rotational model attracts and retains more experienced officers, giving the detachment stability and keeping it adequately staffed. Further consultation with communities and assessments will take place to determine if rotational drive-in models will be implemented elsewhere in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction.
Strengthening investigations
The Saskatchewan RCMP are investing in intelligence-led policing by aligning resources and hiring additional analysts who turn significant volumes of data into actionable information that supports investigations and public safety. This approach helps investigators identify evolving crime trends, uncover links between incidents, and allocate resources more effectively, leading to faster and more informed investigative decisions.
Strategic and targeted enforcement
From April 1, 2025, to July 15, 2026, the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team (SERT) conducted 410 deployments to Saskatchewan communities, including 164 of those to northern communities.
During those deployments, the Warrant Enforcement Response Teams (WEST) were in northern communities executing warrants for prolific offenders and providing critical support to frontline officers during periods of high call volume.
Additionally, the Crime Reduction Teams (CRT) are highly visible in communities, working alongside detachment officers to respond to high-risk incidents and target organized crime networks involved in illicit drugs and firearms. Every strategic patrol is guided by data analysis, ensuring resources are deployed where they are needed most and can have the greatest impact.
Saskatchewan RCMP says it remains committed to sharing factual information with the public, even if it reflects difficult realities for communities and their officers. Over the coming days, the Saskatchewan RCMP will be releasing further crime statistics regarding our calls for service, prolific offenders, warrants executed, breach of conditions, impaired driving, illicit drugs, and homicides – along with the actions being taken to reduce crime, hold offenders accountable and enhance community safety across Saskatchewan.
