MJPS Asks For Earlier Access To Vehicle Funds Following July Accident

A July 10, 2021 traffic accident involving the Ford Explorer police unit used by the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) has the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) asking for replacement funding to be advanced by one year.

“We are asking to move that money to one year earlier than usual. Quite honestly the way vehicle sales and ordering it quite likely won’t be here until the appropriate budget year in any case,” Superintendent Devon Oleniuk told the Moose Jaw board of Police Commissioners.

A new fully equipped Ford Explorer for police service costs about $105,000. Following the July 10th collision SGI determined the unit to be a write-off and not economical to repair.

Funding for the new CTSS Ford Explorer comes from the Province.

“We receive funds regularly to budget for replacing of cars from the Ministry (of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety) so that is what we budget for each year…its about $16,000 and it will allow us to depreciate a vehicle over a five year span,” Superintendent Oleniuk said.

The money to replace the vehicle is in a reserve fund that the Board of Police Commissioners had to agree to as it is being used earlier than project.

“This is a Combined Traffic Services vehicle and those are fully funded by the Ministry…that money goes into our budget and then to our equipment budget. The money comes from the Province goes into the budget and in order for us to access it early it goes into reserves. We just need the boards approval to access it a few months earlier than we would have,” Chief Rick Bourassa.

The MJPS receives $30,000 per year to cover the depreciation of vehicles. The unit in question would have been up for replacement in 2022.

At the present time the inability to acquire a police vehicle has some members doubling up in units but if there is another accident and a vehicle is lost it could impact MJPS response times the Board of Police Commissioners was told.

In a unanimous 5 - 0 decision the Board of Police Commissioners voted in favour of the request.