Some Saskatchewan motorists have been left confused after spotting marked Regina Police Service (RPS) units performing traffic safety enforcement in rural areas and municipalities outside the city.
RPS addressed these concerns on March 29, stating their travels outside of Regina are part of an integrated approach to traffic safety called Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS).
CTSS is designed to target distracted and impaired driving, as well as aggressive driving in the key areas of the province.
Although CTSS is not new to the province, police confirmed that through funding provided by SGI, the first phase of this initiative was established for the Saskatoon area and the central region of the province in October 2014, and involved the Ministry of Justice, Saskatoon Police Service as well as the RCMP.
In June 2015, a second unit in the Weyburn/Estevan area was launched.
The creation of these units came as a recommendation from the Saskatchewan legislature all-party traffic safety report.
The CTSS (central region) was activated at the same time the laws had changed to apply harsher penalties for distracted and impaired driving, and excessive speeding.
A partnership between the RPS, Moose Jaw Police Service, Prince Albert Police Service, the RCMP, the Ministry of Justice and SGI is the newest phase of CTSS.
The participation of the RPS will occur in two phases: on March 9, the first five members of CTSS became operational, and an additional five officers will be added in the fall of 2018.
For more information on the early phases of CTSS, take a look at page 10 of the Ministry of Justice Annual Report 2016-17.
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