Saskatoon leads province in 2016 police discipline cases
Regina recorded 33 incidents
SASKATOON The Saskatoon Police Service accounted for nearly half of all discipline cases involving police in Saskatchewan in 2016, although none resulted in formal discipline.
Provincewide, 121 cases of police discipline were recorded in 2016. Only one — that of an officer in Estevan — resulted in a firing, according to the annual report for the Saskatchewan Police Commission.
Discipline files are included in the commission’s annual report for the first time, explained the commission’s executive director, Rick Peach.
“Our annual report evolves over time,” Peach said in an interview on Tuesday. “We just felt it was appropriate to bring (discipline cases) into our annual report format.”
The annual report will be considered by the Saskatoon board of police commissioners on Thursday.
Of the 57 discipline cases involving Saskatoon officers, 36 were found to be baseless, while another 15 resulted in no discipline. Remedial action, which could involve counselling or mediation, was required in six cases. The report does not offer detail on the incidents that resulted in discipline being considered.
Regina recorded 33 discipline cases in 2016, two of which resulted in officers resigning and one of which ended in formal discipline. Prince Albert had 16 discipline cases, Moose Jaw had 11 and Estevan had four. Two members in Moose Jaw resigned.
Overall, 70 of the 121 discipline cases were ruled baseless, while another 29 resulted in no disciplinary action.
Saskatoon continued to boast the province’s largest urban police force in 2016 with 472 sworn officers, compared to 397 for Regina, 92 for Prince Albert, 54 for Moose Jaw, 25 for Estevan and 24 for Weyburn.
In addition to the six urban police
Our annual report evolves over time. We just felt it was appropriate to bring (discipline cases) into our annual report format.
forces, three towns have their own police forces, including Dalmeny, as do three rural municipalities, including Corman Park and Vanscoy. The File Hill First Nation also operates a nine-person police force.
Of the province’s urban forces, Prince Albert had the lowest ratio of officers per capita at one officer for every 390 people, while Moose Jaw had the highest at one for every 628 people. Saskatoon had one officer for every 522 people, while Regina had one for every 542.
The annual report suggests the death of a Medicine Hat man during a standoff with Saskatoon police in October 2016 was the first fatal police shooting in Saskatchewan since 2013. However, on Tuesday Saskatoon police said the death of Joshua John Robert Megeney in an Avenue Q North home remains under investigation.