Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Offenders with outstanding warrants pose a risk to the safety of Saskatchewan residents in communities across the province. By locating and apprehending individuals with active warrants for their arrest, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERT) continue to combat dangerous crime in the province and help make it a safer place for all those who call it home.
Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT – which includes Crime Reduction Teams (CRT), the Human Trafficking and Counter Exploitation Unit (HTCEU), Offender Management Unit (OMU), Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Teams (STRT) and Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Teams (WEST) – targets criminal groups and violent, prolific offenders who threaten the well-being of Saskatchewan people.
In 2024, Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT executed 662 arrest warrants and 17 electronic monitoring arrests in the province.
Locating and safely apprehending offenders with active arrest warrants requires a wide-range of resources, investigative expertise and a highly-coordinated effort between detachments and RCMP units trained to respond to critical incidents, such as Saskatchewan RCMP Police Dog Services and the Critical Incident Response Team.
Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT conducts law enforcement and intelligence-based activities to locate fugitives who have active warrants for their arrest, become unlawfully at large, or escape from custody. Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT also works in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety to apprehend individuals who are on release for serious offences and violate geo-fenced and electronic monitoring conditions.
Apprehending a violent offender in Pelican Narrows
In September 2024, investigation determined an offender, who had an active warrant for discharging a firearm, was at a residence in Pelican Narrows, SK. Meadow Lake and La Ronge CRT both deployed to the community in an effort to locate the wanted individual.
While RCMP officers were attempting to apprehend the offender, he pointed a firearm at officers multiple times before jumping through an opening in the deck and running into a nearby forested area. Officers searched the area with their Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) and did not locate the suspect.
Later that month, RCMP officers with Prince Albert WEST and Pelican Narrows Detachment located the wanted individual in the community. Officers from Prince Albert WEST, Pelican Narrows Detachment, Saskatchewan RCMP Police Dog Services and Manitoba RCMP’s Emergency Response Team were all involved in arresting the offender without incident.
Collaboration and specialized resources are key
Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT has developed strong working partnerships with RCMP detachments and divisions, federal and provincial corrections, and municipal police forces across the province in an effort to arrest high-profile offenders with outstanding warrants.
“SERT’s operational capacity and integration in the RCMP are essential to locating and apprehending violent offenders who jeopardize the safety of residents. Taking criminals out of communities helps protect the well-being of those who live there and ensures the Saskatchewan RCMP continues to fulfil its mandate as the provincial police force,” says Insp. Jeff Smoliak, Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT Senior Investigative Officer.
“These apprehensions are dynamic situations that can be dangerous for everyone involved. The supports we receive from frontline RCMP officers across the province, RCMP criminal analysts, the Critical Incident Response Team and other support services are essential to taking wanted individuals into custody safely,” adds Insp. Smoliak.
What is SERT?
Saskatchewan RCMP SERT is made up of 108 RCMP officers and 31 civilian support staff. With different teams located in 10 Saskatchewan communities, SERT is readily mobile and able to quickly deploy to surrounding areas. Teams are also assisted every single day by over 1,500 RCMP employees, including more than 1,000 sworn officers at 80 plus detachments across the province.