A member of the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) has been placed on administrative leave after a complaint was submitted to the province’s Public Complaints Commission.
In an email to CTV News, the Marshals service confirmed that one of its members was the subject of a complaint – and that the complaint has led to an investigation.
“The SMS has no further comment [that] will be made at this time pending the outcome of the investigation,” the response read.
The service did not disclose when the complaint was received, or when the decision was made to put its member on leave.
The complaint comes at a time when the Marshals service is entering its final stages of preparation as it is scheduled to become operational ahead of schedule.
In March, the first 10 SMS officers began a seven-week training program at Saskatchewan’s Police College. The class is scheduled to graduate in late April.
The service has previously said it plans to have 17 to 20 officers working by the summer, with 70 employed by the end of 2026.
When fully operational, the SMS will operate with an annual budget of about $20 million.
The Saskatchewan Marshals will be based out of Prince Albert, with regional offices planned for other communities in the future.
The province has faced criticism from the Opposition NDP and the National Police Federation over its decision to establish the Marshals Service.
Both organizations argue the move will lead to job poaching. They say the money spent launching the new police force would be better spent on existing services, like the RCMP.
In January, the SMS confirmed it had interviewed Saskatchewan RCMP members.
The Marshals Service was created to assist RCMP and other law enforcement agencies in combatting rural crime, gangs, illegal weapons and drugs.
Additionally, officers will be tasked to apprehend high-risk and prolific offenders and conduct patrols in communities with high crime.
