The Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners have found savings in the police budget to resubmit to Moose Jaw City Council. 

During city council's Dec. 7 budget meeting, the police budget was sent back to the board of police commissioners to review the police service's vacant positions and the traffic safety reserve funding. 

Moose Jaw Police Service Chief Rick Bourassa presented the revised budget to the board of police commissioners on Monday morning. 

The police were able to reduce its expenditures by $51,511 and increase revenue by $220,000 for a net budget of about $11.5 million. This would be a 3.05 per cent increase from 2022 or $341,422. It equates to a little more than a one per cent mill rate increase. 

The police's initial budget submissions were for an increase of $612,933 or 5.49 per cent from 2022 or a mill rate increase of 1.84 per cent. 

Since the presentation to city council, Bourassa met with the training advisory committee, which comprises of chiefs from across the province, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Police Commission and the director of the Saskatchewan Police College. The meeting laid out how many vacant spots would be open in January for the police college and how they would be allocated. 

Bourassa said the Moose Jaw Police Service had budgeted for three spots at the Saskatchewan Police College for January at a cost of about $70,000 per officer for the year and one spot to begin police college in July at a cost of a little more than $30,000. 

Bourassa learned on Thursday morning that the police would receive two spots in January and indicated that two spots would be available in July. 

"When we discovered that we would only have two training positions in January we moved the position to the July training class and the indications are that we will have two positions available in July, which then allowed us to take out the difference, which turns out to be $51,511 we were able to reduce our budget by," Bourassa explained. 

The police will be swearing in an experienced officer in January at a cost of $77,000 for a total of three new officers in January. 

In reviewing the traffic safety reserve funding, each year the police request $110,000 to fund an officer dedicated to traffic safety initiatives. The police are requesting an additional $220,000 from the traffic safety reserve to fund a couple more traffic safety officers for a total request of $330,000 from the traffic reserve. Funds from the traffic safety reserve come from automated speed enforcement. 

"Now, this is an ask just for 2023. It doesn't create any ongoing obligations that is something council needs to approve every year from that fund," Bourassa explained. 

The police service submitted its revised budget to the city's financial services department on Monday afternoon. It will be discussed on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at City Hall when city council meets again to finalize its 2023 budget. 

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