Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Criminal activity often spans across provincial borders and jurisdictional boundaries. Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERT) work closely with RCMP in other provinces, municipal police agencies and partners across the country to investigate these complex files and combat crime in Saskatchewan communities.
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) – has established productive relationships with law enforcement and partner agencies throughout Canada.
In 2024, Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT investigated 75 interprovincial files. These investigations included, but weren’t limited to, human trafficking, drug trafficking and firearms trafficking files.
Partnerships keeping communities safe
“Criminals don’t respect jurisdictional borders – their activity impacts people throughout Saskatchewan and across Canada,” says Insp. Jeff Smoliak, Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT Senior Investigative Officer.
“Gang activity and crimes like human, drug, and firearms trafficking affect communities of all sizes, not just urban centres. Working in collaboration with other law enforcement and partner agencies extends the reach of our resources and allows Saskatchewan RCMP’s SERT to curb criminal activity that affects Saskatchewan communities.
Collaborating to investigate human trafficking
In October 2024, Saskatoon RCMP were called to a business in Dundurn for a report of kidnapping.
Officers responded and located an adult female from Ontario at the business. Initial investigation determined she was being held against her will.
Officers contacted investigators with the Human Trafficking and Counter Exploitation Unit (HTCEU), who began an investigation into human trafficking. HTCEU investigators determined the woman had been forcibly taken from Toronto and that human trafficking had occurred in various locations in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
As a result of investigation, a man from Quebec was charged with trafficking in persons, forcible confinement, sexual assault and assault with a weapon, among other charges.
Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatoon Detachment, Yorkton Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team, Saskatoon General Investigation Section, Saskatoon Police Services’ VICE Unit and Victim Services, Regina Police Service’s VICE Unit, Toronto Police Service and Brandon Police Service assisted in this continuing investigation, along with additional community partners.
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.