The Report Impaired Drivers (RID) program may just be working out quite well in Estevan since six charges for impaired driving were levied against vehicle operators within the city over the past few days plus a few more charges for possession of illegal drugs that were found in vehicles as a result of closer police scrutiny during their community checks.
On the night of Sept. 13, Estevan Police Service (EPS) members witnessed three young men in a vehicle engaging in what was believed to be the consumption of marijuana. The vehicle was stopped and a small quantity of the substance was seized along with some paraphernalia. One person who was charged as a Young Offender will be in court on Oct. 24 to answer to the charge of being in possession of a controlled substance.
Police were called to the Hillcrest area of the city that same night in response to a call from a concerned resident who noticed that there were some young people on the roof of the Hillcrest School. Three young people were spoken to about their action and their parents were informed about the activities.
EPS members then investigated a single vehicle rollover incident that occurred on the south side of the city that same evening.
A vehicle being driven by a young woman pulled out to pass another vehicle on a double solid line marked on the pavement. The woman then turned back into her lane to avoid a head-on collision and lost control of the vehicle, entering the east ditch where the vehicle then rolled onto its roof. The driver sustained minor injuries and was later charged with passing on a solid line.
A report of a missing six-year-old child was conveyed to Estevan police during the day of Sept. 14. The child had gone missing in the Scotsburn area. When police conducted a search, they located the child who was on foot in the area and returned the youngster to their residence where it was learned that the child had been visiting friends after school and had not informed the parents.
On the night of Sept. 16, EPS members attended to a domestic disturbance in the central part of the city. The matter was resolved without further incident.
A residence in the southwest area of the city was vandalized on the night of Sept. 16 when a rock was thrown through a window. The matter remains under investigation.
A report of occupants in a vehicle consuming alcohol in the 1700 block of First Street attracted police attention on the night of Sept. 16. The driver of the vehicle was stopped and a ticket was issued for having open liquor in a vehicle. It was also noted that the driver was wanted on an outstanding warrant so that matter was also dealt with.
A 19-year-old woman was arrested and charged with impaired driving when police made a traffic stop on the city's east side on the night of Sept. 16. The woman now has an Oct. 24 court date.
Later that night, police were called to a local restaurant on a report of a suspected impaired driver. Police located the vehicle that had been described and a 21-year-old Saskatoon man was arrested and charged with impaired driving. He has an October court date.
Police were then called to a disturbance at a local lounge where they learned that a man had been causing problems and then departed the scene, prior to police arrival. EPS members located the man a short time later and arrested him for being intoxicated in public. The 22-year-old Estevan man was lodged in cells and released the next day.
A day earlier, police reported that they had checked a vehicle in the north side of the city and discovered the driver and passenger were carrying drugs and a large amount of cash.
While being questioned by police, the male passenger fled on foot and police set off in pursuit which took them through the interior of the Estevan Comprehensive School where the young offender was then taken into custody. Both parties charged were taken to court where several charges were laid against them including drug possession, obstruction, assault and breaking and entering.
On Sept. 17, EPS members checked several vehicles throughout the evening and as a result of their activities, a 32-year-old Estevan man was arrested for impaired driving. A 23-year-old Punnichy man was also arrested and charged for the same offence as was a 21-year-old Regina man. All three now have October court dates.
Police were alerted to a break-and-enter incident in the central business district on the night of Sept. 17. A parked vehicle had been entered and while police were investigating the situation, it was learned that several vehicles had been broken into in this particular time frame so an investigation is continuing.
A report of a fight at a local business required police attention on the night of Sept. 17. When EPS arrived, they broke up a large crowd of people who had gathered in the location and noted that several people had been assaulted so the investigation continues and charges are pending.
Police attended to another assault incident that occurred in the central part of the city on the night of Sept. 18. They discovered that an Estevan resident had been injured and needed to be transported to hospital for treatment. The matter remains under investigation.
Police were then called to the city's south side in response to a call about a disturbance. They discovered that a domestic dispute had broken out between a couple of siblings and that the two had settled the issue prior to police arrival so no further policing action was required.
