MOOSE JAW — The revelation that the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit’s file numbers have doubled since 2021 has prompted concern from one member of the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners.
Sask. ICE announced recently that it handled 853 files during the 2021-22 fiscal year, 931 files during the 2022-23 fiscal year and 1,003 files during the 2023-24 fiscal year. It noted that investigators are on pace to handle 1,317 files during the 2024-25 fiscal year, which ends April 30.
“Surpassing last year’s number of files isn’t just a statistic, it’s a testament to the growing challenges we as ICE investigators face,” Saskatoon Police Staff Sgt. Tim Failler, co-ordinator of the Saskatchewan ICE Unit, told media.
ICE executed 58 search warrants across the province last fiscal year, and as of March 13, 2025, had carried out 86. Meanwhile, the organization has begun tracking the number of files where other agencies ask them for assistance because they were receiving so many.
In 10 months, they had over 150 requests for assistance, the unit said.
Commissioner Jamey Logan with Moose Jaw’s police board raised the topic of Sask. ICE’s “staggering numbers” during the board’s March meeting. He asked whether Moose Jaw had similar numbers of child exploitation material files and whether the community was doing better or worse than other jurisdictions.
Acting Police Chief Rick Johns replied that Saskatchewan ICE conducted a “fairly large-scale investigation” in February as part of a nationwide initiative called “Project Steel,” which targeted child sexual abuse and exploitation offenders.
The project brought together 63 law enforcement partners and led to 106 arrests nationwide, including five people from Saskatchewan, with one from Moose Jaw.
“Our local contingent (within the Moose Jaw Police Service) continues to be very busy,” Johns said.
Two officers are dedicated to handling child exploitation material files, while the agency looks for ways to prioritize those situations, he continued. Furthermore, the MJPS continues to build its relationship with Sask. ICE since all units in the province rely on each other for support.
“As the year progresses, we’re going to be looking at those numbers very closely just to see how that’s trending and what other steps we can take to address that,” Johns added.
, a MJPS ICE investigator told commissioners that the unit has 16 active files, with more coming in regularly, while investigations into just one case usually take 113 to 160 days to conclude.
Meanwhile, in 2024, the unit handled 29 files, which resulted in the execution of three search warrants at residences, the identification of five victims and charges laid against two people
The hurdles the ICE unit faces include limited time to investigate files, limited access to specialized software, staying current with modern investigative techniques and suspects moving to other jurisdictions, the investigator said. Ongoing training usually involves talking with peers, while advanced training requires the software.
Some solutions to these issues include hiring a full-time ICE unit investigator and Moose Jaw joining the provincial team, she added.
The next police board meeting is Tuesday, April 8.
