By CHIEF ROB DUTTCHEN, Corman Park Police Service
Rural policing rarely follows a script. In one week, CPPS members rounded up cattle, fixed a construction hazard, and took three impaired drivers off area roads.
Around 6 p.m. on September 12, a Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) member responded to a report of livestock on the loose near Township Road 372 and Range Road 3070. With help from area residents, the member searched the area by vehicle and with the CPPS drone. The wandering herd was eventually located, and officers and neighbours joined forces to wrangle the cattle back to the safety of their pasture. The bovine escapees were returned home without incident, and no charges are expected. Livestock-at-large calls are one of the things that make rural policing in Corman Park unique.
In the early morning hours of September 14, a CPPS member stopped to investigate a southbound vehicle on Highway 219 that was travelling with its hazard lights flashing. During the stop, the officer noted signs of alcohol consumption and demanded a breath sample into an approved screening device (ASD). The result was a “Fail,” and the driver was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle. He was taken to the Saskatoon RCMP Detachment, where he provided breath samples of 170 mg% and 160 mg%, meaning 170 and 160 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Both are at least double the legal limit of 80 mg%. The driver received an immediate indefinite licence suspension, which stays in place until the charge is resolved in court, and his vehicle was impounded for 60 days. He was held in custody until the next morning, when he was sober and able to care for himself. Drivers at or above .16 face tougher consequences from SGI, including a 60-day impoundment instead of 30 days and a $2,250 financial penalty instead of $1,250, in addition to any penalty imposed by the court. The charge has not been proven in court.
Later that morning, CPPS responded to a complaint about confusing construction signage on Township Road 382 near Range Road 3052. After driving through the site, the member agreed with the caller that the signs could mislead drivers and create a hazard. The member spoke with the construction foreman, who agreed and had his crew correct the signage. Thank you to the resident who called it in, and to the crew for responding so quickly. Sometimes a phone call and a conversation are all it takes to prevent a collision.
Just before midnight on September 15, CPPS members stopped a driver on Highway 219 whose licence carries a zero-alcohol (0 BAC) restriction. Following a mandatory alcohol screening demand, the ASD registered 16 mg%. Even that small amount breaches a new driver’s zero-tolerance condition. The driver received a 60-day licence suspension and a three-day vehicle impoundment and must complete SGI’s mandatory impaired-driving education program.
On the afternoon of September 16, a CPPS member stopped a vehicle near Highway 16 and Dalmeny Road. At the roadside, the officer suspected drug use and demanded an oral fluid sample, which tested positive for cocaine. Saskatchewan has zero tolerance for drugs for all drivers. The driver received a three-day licence suspension, and the vehicle was impounded for three days.
Around 5:30 p.m. on September 17, CPPS located an intoxicated man walking on Highway 11, north of its junction with Highway 12. Computer checks showed he was wanted on an outstanding warrant held by the Pelican Narrows RCMP Detachment. He was taken to the Saskatoon RCMP Detachment and held until sober, then released the next morning with a date to appear in Provincial Court in Pelican Narrows.
A traffic stop for a missing licence plate ended with two arrests. Around 9:20 p.m. on October 18, 2026, a CPPS member on routine patrol stopped a car with no licence plate near Avenue C and Circle Drive. While speaking with the driver and passenger, the member saw that both had unstamped cigarettes. A search of the vehicle turned up packs of unstamped cigarettes, drug paraphernalia including bongs and methamphetamine pipes, and a hatchet wrapped in electrical tape.
The hatchet was in the passenger’s bag, and she was arrested. Records checks showed she was also wanted on an outstanding theft warrant from the Saskatoon Police Service. The driver was wanted on outstanding warrants from the Prince Albert Police Service for driving while suspended and failing to appear in court, and he was also arrested.
The member noticed signs of drug impairment in the driver and demanded an oral fluid sample. It tested positive for cocaine. The driver was already suspended from driving several times over. He received a further 60-day licence suspension, and the vehicle was impounded for 33 days: three days for the drug-related offence and 30 days for driving while unauthorized.
Both were taken to CPPS headquarters for processing. At the direction of the two police services that held the warrants, they were released with court dates in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. They were also issued tickets for the unstamped tobacco and other provincial offences. A friend came to pick them up. The charges have not been proven in court.
A missing licence plate is a small thing, but stops like this one regularly lead to people wanted elsewhere, drugs, and weapons. Traffic enforcement remains one of our most effective tools for detecting crime in and around Corman Park.
Behind many of these calls is a resident who picked up the phone or a member who took a second look. Thank you to everyone who helped keep Corman Park safe this week. If your plans include alcohol or drugs, plan a sober ride home. To report a concern, call CPPS at 306.242.8808 or 911 in an emergency.