Saskatchewan Marshals Service Chief Marshal Robert Cameron, left, and Red Pheasant Cree Nation Chief Cody Benson hold the signed memorandum of understanding during a ceremony at Eagles Landing in North Battleford on Oct. 20, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

SASKATCHEWAN MARSHALS SERVICE

‘A historic day’: Red Pheasant becomes first Sask. First Nation to sign MOU with Marshals Service

Oct 20, 2025 | 5:18 PM

Red Pheasant Cree Nation has become the first Indigenous community in Saskatchewan to partner with the province’s new Marshals Service in a bid to curb drugs, gangs and violent crime.

The memorandum of understanding(MOU) was signed Monday at Eagles Landing in North Battleford between Chief Cody Benson and Chief Marshal Robert Cameron of the Saskatchewan Marshals Service(SMS).

Benson said the agreement follows more than a year of talks aimed at improving safety in his community.

“We need to find different avenues to address the issues,” he said.

“Our people should be able to go home at night feeling safe and not be terrorized by gangs and the people that are bad into drugs.”

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He said the province approached Red Pheasant soon after his election and that the two sides quickly found common ground. The MOU, he added, shows the government “is not coming in by force” but “wants to do this the right way.”

Cameron called the signing “a historic day” for both parties and said it will strengthen joint efforts with the RCMP.

“This MOU is certainly going to open up the ability for us to work together in partnership and tackle some of that crime that [Chief Benson] had spoken about,” he said.

He said Red Pheasant is the first of several First Nations expected to sign similar agreements and that Marshals will begin operating in the Battlefords area by December.

The SMS, launched in 2022, is a provincial police agency that works alongside the RCMP. It focuses on rural crime, warrant enforcement and complex investigations.

Its provincial headquarters is in Prince Albert, while its first regional office will be based in the Battlefords with an inspector, 10 officers and support staff.

The first class of nine recruits has been sworn in and is already on the ground, and the service expects to have about 50 officers on duty by the end of 2026, with another 20 to be hired the following year.

Battlefords MLA and health minister Jeremy Cockrill said the deal reflects “a shared commitment to building safer communities through partnership, respect and trust.”

He said it also supports reconciliation by promoting Indigenous-led policing and culturally informed approaches to community safety.

North Battleford Mayor Kelli Hawtin called the agreement “a milestone for all of us in our region,” while Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie said it will help improve the community’s image.

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Vice-Chief David Pratt said the Marshals will help relieve pressure on existing police. “I see this as providing another layer of public safety,” he said.

Similar agreements are expected with other First Nations, including James Smith Cree Nation, Benson said.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com