By the end of the decade, Saskatoon residents could have the ability to contact 911 dispatchers via text message and video call.

At today’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Executive Director Michele Arscott stated that this kind of technology is important for those who are deaf and unable to make a phone call and others.

“We were probably second in the country to convert to this new technology. As the rest of the country converts to Next Generation 911, we’ll be able to go into the next stage. Timeline wise, they were initially thinking somewhere in 2027-2028, but given how long it’s taken some other agencies, we might be looking closer to 2028-2029,” she admits.

In the meantime, the Police Service has a set of initiatives that it hopes to implement as part of its 2025 business plan.

Tanya Stewart, Director of Police Information and Planning, says the plan has four main themes.

“Crime and Safety, our people, partnerships, and innovation. Each theme is further divided into eight goals. They are broken into strategic outcomes, which are the changes or actions we want to achieve, and then initiatives, so, what we are doing to achieve them.”

This total 36 initiatives, including several priorities such as implementing an Intimate Partner Violence Response Team, piloting a Warrant Enforcement Unit, regulate the use of bear spray, and enhance traffic enforcement efforts to reduce dangerous driving.