The Saskatchewan government is funding a second Police and Crisis Team (PACT) in North Battleford, committing more than $360,000 to pair mental health professionals with police officers, according to a provincial announcement released Nov. 12.
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PACTs bring together a mental health worker and an officer in a single mobile unit that responds to calls where someone is in crisis. The idea is to de-escalate the situation and connect people to community supports rather than routing them through an emergency room or the courts.
The program matters locally because Battlefords RCMP routinely field calls across a wide stretch of west-central Saskatchewan, including traffic through the Lloydminster area, making any change to how that detachment handles mental health crises relevant well beyond North Battleford itself.
“By successfully connecting individuals to community services, Police and Crisis Teams continue to enhance the way that individuals facing mental health or addictions challenges are engaged with in Saskatchewan,” said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill. “The strength of this program is its ability to meet people where they are and connect them with the supports, services and care they need.”
Community Safety Minister Michael Weger said the investment reflects a broader push toward working with local partners on public safety.
“Strong partnerships create strong communities,” said Weger. “Today’s investment in a second Police and Crisis Team in North Battleford is another example of our government’s commitment to working with our partners to support innovative solutions that enhance community safety and wellbeing.”
North Battleford’s existing PACT has already shown results. Between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, the team took part in 289 interventions, diverting 227 clients from an emergency department visit and 217 from an arrest, according to the province.
Battlefords RCMP Insp. Ryan How, the detachment commander, said the team lets officers hand off calls that aren’t purely a policing matter.
“Many of the challenges impacting community safety today are rooted in complex social issues that require more than a police response,” said How. “Our partnership with PACT demonstrates how the RCMP continues to modernize its practices by integrating specialized professionals — which ultimately provides the right response at the right time.”
Saskatchewan Health Authority Integrated Northern Health vice-president Julia Pemberton said expanding the program means care arrives faster and closer to home.
“Expanding mental health and addictions supports provides more opportunities to access timely and compassionate care, closer to home and improves health outcomes for everyone,” said Pemberton.
PACTs now operate in seven Saskatchewan communities: Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Yorkton and Estevan. Including this latest funding, the province is putting $4.2 million into the program across the province for 2026-27.
The expansion comes as mental health supports continue to be a focus on both sides of the border, with efforts such as a recent mental health partnership for Saskatchewan farmers and ongoing programming that has seen mental health take centre stage in Lloydminster.
No timeline for the second North Battleford team’s launch was included in the province’s announcement.
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