Increased Conservation Officers for the Province
Res #: 25-23A
Number: 25
Year: 2023
Midterm: No
Expired: No
Responses Received: Yes
Departments: Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing
WHEREAS the umbrella of a conservation officer is vast, involving fish & game violations, garbage violations, the new
trespassing law, paperwork, along with many more duties.
WHEREAS conservation officers have a large area to cover, and response times lag due to all their duties.
WHEREAS there are not enough conservation officers to cover all their duties.
BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the provincial government to recruit more conservation officers to better serve our
municipalities and protect the wildlife and environment.
Responses From: Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety
May 11, 2023
The Conservation Officer service is part of the new Provincial Protective Services (PPS) branch, created under the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety in 2022 to better streamline provincial enforcement services. The PPS Conservation Officer service includes more than 40 field office locations and 147 highly trained officers, including staff skilled in intelligence-gathering, covert operations, environmental legislation and interjurisdictional activities.
In 2021-22, the Conservation Officer service increased by five new positions to enhance its capacity across the province. In 2022-23, the service added two fully trained K-9 patrol units, headquartered in Yorkton and Moose Jaw. These additions increased the K-9 capacity to three full-service teams that provide unique enforcement tools to PPS and partner law enforcement agencies.
As part of Saskatchewan’s Protection and Response Team (PRT), the Conservation Officer service supports the RCMP and other police partners, targeting crime in rural Saskatchewan. The existing conservation officer complement, supported by PPS law enforcement partners, provides professional and effective law enforcement services to the citizens of the province.
PPS continues to have a strong recruitment program, ensuring the Conservation Officer service provides effective service delivery to the citizens of the province.
The Honourable Christine Tell – Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety
