Proposed operating budget for Saskatoon police nears $100M for 2020

For the first time, the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners has put together a multi-year budget, which estimates the police service's budget at about $99 million for 2020. That's about a four per cent increase from this year.

In 2021, the budget would bump up to $103 million, according to the multi-year plan.

The budgets will still need to be approved every year, and the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners is meeting later Thursday afternoon to discuss the budget proposals.

The extra cash in the 2020 budget is mostly earmarked to cover salary increases and inflation. But police are also asking for four more officers, two more 911 operators and a full-time clinical psychologist.

The budget also includes adding a civilian director position to oversee finance, human resources, IT central records and asset management.

The police service also wants to hire a programmer analyst, who will gather video-based evidence.

The 2021 budget would see an increase of about $4.5 million, about two-thirds of which would cover an increase in salaries.

The proposed 2021 budget also includes $350,000 available for a community safety officer pilot program. 

 More resources would also be funnelled into sexual assault and fraud investigations, the budget says.

The report says there has been a sustained increase in those types of reported offences.