In a year of deficits and cuts, the Saskatoon Police Service is seeing a surplus, according to its 2022 year-end financial report summary.
The report, which is part of Thursday’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting agenda, showed the police service ended the year $300k under budget.
It’s noted in the report that $285,400 will also be going into the SPS Fiscal Stabilization Reserve, and $240,000 will be going into the SPS Equipment and Technology Capital Reserve to help deal with unforeseen circumstances and fund future projects.
Total revenues for the year came in $772,000 higher than budgeted, but expenditures were $472,000 over budget.
Funding from the provincial government was $584,900 higher than anticipated due to more responsibilities related to the Internet Child Exploitation program, and the beginning of the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team.
Money from the federal government was also higher, coming in $316,500 more than anticipated due to officers being sent overseas to help train locals in policing techniques.
General revenue for the police service was $129,400 under budget, with the report noting that the criminal record check revenue has not reached pre-COVID-19 levels yet, which is the main factor in the decreased revenue.
Total expenditures were $472,000 more than budgeted, with staff compensation exceeding the budget by $1,664,400, other expenditures coming in $1,717,900 under budget, and the transfers to the two reserves.
The police service said overtime was the largest driver for staff compensation going over-budget, with criminal investigations making up 40.9 per cent of the overtime expenses, patrol taking up 31.7 per cent, and operational support accounting for 26.9 per cent with some smaller values elsewhere.
It was noted that the majority of overtime expenses were for call-outs, which includes things like being called out for support activities not available with current resources, attending complex investigations, and support for things like the Tactical Services Unit and Public Safety Unit.
The $300,000 surplus from the police service will go back to the City of Saskatoon.
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