SASKATOON — In 2022, when he started in his position as chief of the Corman Park Police Service (CPPS), Ron Chomyn says one of his priorities was to improve and solidify relationships with partnering enforcement agencies and organizations like SGI.
“Successful operations within the RM, both in the resolution and apprehension of criminal offenders, and the enforcement of bylaws and provincial statutes requires co-operation from the various agencies we work with,” said Chomyn.
“The success we’ve had in identifying and arresting prolific criminal offenders is a testament to our relationship with the RCMP, the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, the RM of Vanscoy Police and others.”
The collaboration between CPPS and other agencies was one of the highlights of a report presented by Chomyn at the RM of Corman Park’s administration committee meeting on April 8.
One prominent example that Chomyn shared with Corman Park councillors occurred on March 19, when CPPS members conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was connected to a home invasion and robbery in the Blaine Lake area.
The driver of the vehicle pulled into a property off Highway 219 in the RM and was arrested for possession of stolen property. Chomyn noted that two firearms and a taser were observed within plain sight inside the vehicle.
A subsequent investigation led to the containment of that residence and a callout of the RCMP’s emergency response team from Regina.The people inside the residence eventually surrendered, and during a search of the property, police came up with a total of 11 firearms, three crossbows, assorted ammunition, seven bottles of GHB and a stolen trailer. Six people were ultimately arrested and are facing a wide range of charges.
Following this incident, Chomyn said he received a message from the RCMP thanking their members for their support in combating criminal activity in their detachment areas. This is a great example of how our law enforcement agencies work cooperatively in crime reduction, he added.
Overall, Chomyn suggested there has been a bit of a “pendulum swing” from when he first started, when CPPS was more focused on enforcing traffic offences and municipal bylaws.
In fact, with police resources becoming increasingly stretched across Canada, it is becoming more common for the RCMP and CPPS to provide mutual assistance for dealing with serious crime in the RM of Corman Park
This can range from sitting at the scene of an accident for 20 minutes waiting on a tow truck to the March 19 incident, which resulted in CPPS members putting in roughly 38 manpower hours.
“I see this issue as not being one that will change for the better in the next two years or longer,” he said. “Resources and call load require more cooperative policing.”
Turning to their relationship with SGI, Chomyn noted that in 2024, they received substantial funding for participating in high visibility check stops to combat impaired driving in the RM.
This funding compensates CPPS members who put in their own time after hours working check stops, Chomyn indicated, adding that the funding has been raised in 2025 due to the success that CPPS is having in taking impaired drivers off the road.
In fact, over the past three years, the CPPS has participated in more check stops than any police service outside of Saskatoon and Regina.
SGI has also committed to assist CPPS with funding of replacement costs for their roadside screening devices. “Our current equipment has pretty much reached its life end; a lot of the ASDs (Approved Screening Devices) we’re using are 11 years old,” Chomyn said.
This upgrade includes purchasing Drager 7000 roadside screening devices that, unlike their current models, will not have to be sent away for four to six weeks each year for a costly calibration.
On a final note, Chomyn said they are looking into providing criminal record checks out of their office as a service to residents of the RM.
This is still in the planning stages, but Chomyn noted that the Warman RCMP currently process over 5,000 criminal record checks a year, so this would take some pressure off of them.
