MOOSE JAW - Moose Jaw police have been providing information to their area RCMP counterparts for years, but a new working group will make it easier for them to address serious crimes jointly.
Discussions about forming a small joint task force began several months ago after Rhonda Blackmore, the commanding officer for F Division in Saskatchewan, contacted police Chief Rick Bourassa in Moose Jaw to gauge his interest.
The chief wholeheartedly endorsed the idea and — with other senior leadership — began working to support the formation of this group, which will attempt to address the issues of guns, gangs and drugs throughout the area.
“For us, this is (still) in its infancy. There has been a six-member RCMP team in the region working, and we have been working with them and providing information on serious crimes … ,” Bourassa said during the July 10 board of police commissioners’ meeting.
Police leadership is now attempting to identify two members who can join the RCMP officers while working with RCMP leadership to determine where this eight-person unit will be based. Bourassa thought basing the team at police headquarters made more sense since the building has more resources that would benefit the group.
“We expect our members to be joining in August,” he remarked.
This unit will be helpful since integrated police responses are valuable for solving crimes, while each party will bring knowledge and information about their areas that can be combined, the chief said. The police service may benefit slightly more from the RCMP’s knowledge and information because it will help the agency handle serious crimes in the city.
“So the timing on this is really, really good,” he added.
The Moose Jaw Police Service has always had a great relationship with not just other police agencies in the province but also the RCMP, Bourassa said. Moreover, he works closely with Blackmore, while this joint task force is something that’s been needed for a while and is finally here.
“I wish it would have happened earlier, but I’m happy it’s happening now,” he continued. “And we’ll report back on how it’s going as we start to get moving … .
“It is going to be a very, very fruitful partnership.”
