On Sept. 27, a front-line officer at the Yorkton RCMP Detachment tested positive for COVID-19.
The officer immediately self-isolated as per the direction of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
The officer will continue to follow the direction of the SHA and remain in self-isolation until the officer is cleared by local health authorities.
All employees who have been in close contact with the officer – 14 officers and six civilian employees – are currently under mandatory self-isolation as directed by the SHA and are being tested for COVID-19.
Medical history is considered private information under the Privacy Act of Canada, which protects all Canadians from having their personal information made public. To respect our employees' right to privacy, we will not be identifying them publicly or providing ongoing health updates.
Based on the recommendation of the SHA, the Yorkton RCMP Detachment will temporarily close its doors to the general public for non-emergency matters for two weeks starting on Monday, Sept. 28, until Monday, Oct. 12.
The decision was made in consultation with the SHA to support the health of the public and our frontline officers.
The Yorkton RCMP detachment will continue to answer all phone calls from the public.
Over the past six months, the Saskatchewan RCMP has been preparing for exactly this type of situation and we have been putting in place measures to ensure our officers and employees continue responding to calls, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week right across the province.
Residents can be assured there will be police officers in the community to respond to calls for service in a priority manner as if there was a functioning detachment. Our Operational Communication Centres are open 24/7 and remain fully functional for all emergency calls. Anyone calling for service should not notice a difference in policing services.
The Saskatchewan RCMP is following all directions given by the SHA in relation to this positive test result. This includes a thorough sanitization and disinfecting of the detachment, police vehicles and other areas as required.
Important information for criminal record checks:
- If you have already submitted a request for a criminal record check at the Yorkton Detachment, you will receive your results by mail in the coming weeks.
- Priority criminal record checks for the upcoming municipal election or relating to a health care position, can be sent to neighbouring RCMP detachments in Canora, Kamsack and Melville.
- Regular employment criminal record checks, which do not fall in the above categories, will be handled at a later date. Yorkton RCMP will send an update to let you know when this service will be available again.
Residents in the communities we serve should know the Saskatchewan RCMP is well prepared. The Saskatchewan RCMP is still on the job, responding to calls and working around the clock to keep your community safe.
