Saskatchewan Provincial Police
| Saskatchewan Provincial Police | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SPP |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1917[1] |
| Dissolved | 1928[1] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Provincial |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Regina |
The Saskatchewan Provincial Police was a police force in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan that existed from 1917 until 1928 under the Saskatchewan Provincial Police Act.[2]
History
[edit]Created in 1917 to replace the Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP), which was strained by involvement during World War I at the homefront with border patrols, enemy surveillance, and national security enforcement. The force took over provincial policing needs while national policing in Saskatchewan continued to be conducted by the RNWMP.
The force had a maximum strength ranging from 145 to 175 officers in the 1920s. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was contracted to act as the provincial police force[3] after increasing costs led the provincial government to outsource the service.[4] "F" Division is the RCMP's unit responsible for Saskatchewan.
Successor
[edit]In March of 2025, the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) launched its operations. As a provincial police service, it is effectively the SPP's successor, though its enforcement activities will be more limited: The SMS will reportedly focus on serious crime, such as drug and gang activity.[5]
Organization
[edit]The SPP was led by a Commissioner of Police:
- Charles Augustus Mahoney (1869–1941) 1917–1928 – a veteran Ontario Provincial Police officer who served as Chief Constable of the Saskatchewan Secret Service from 1911 to 1917.[6]
The force's rank and file consisted of a mix of former RNWMP officers, military personnel and others with no policing experience.
The other ranks on the force:
- Assistant commissioner
- Inspector
- Non-commissioned officer
- Sworn non-commissioned member
- Constable
- Sergeant
The force had 79 detachments across the province[7] and commanding headquarters in Regina.
See also
[edit]
- Saskatchewan Marshals Service - Successor
References
[edit]- ^ a b [1], A Brief History of Policing in Canada, retrieved October 11, 2017
- ^ "The Saskatchewan Provincial Police Act" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02.
- ^ "Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan-SPP". 2010-07-11. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ^ "Saskatchewan Settlement Experience". www.saskarchives.com.
- ^ Langager, Brody. "What to expect from new police force, as Sask. marshals prepare to get sworn in". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Duncan Francis Robertson (March 1976). "A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History, University of Saskatchewan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
- ^ "Prairie History Blog - Stories from Our Past: The Saskatchewan Provincial Police". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
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