By CHIEF ROBERT DUTTCHEN, Corman Park Police Service
Traffic enforcement, outstanding warrants and assistance to people in distress all featured in Corman Park Police Service’s work from September 20 to 27. The week’s calls illustrate the range of situations officers encounter, sometimes beginning with something as simple as a defective trailer light.
Just after 10 p.m. on September 20, a Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) officer stopped a commercial vehicle with defective trailer lights. During the stop, the driver was also found to be in possession of unstamped cigarettes and cannabis.
The officer, an experienced commercial vehicle investigator, determined that the vehicle was not properly registered to operate in Saskatchewan and lacked the required fuel tax licence. The transport company received two offence notices. Further checks revealed irregularities in the driver’s inspection paperwork and logbook entries. CPPS will work with Saskatchewan Highway Patrol on follow-up involving the company and driver.
On the morning of September 21, an officer saw a vehicle leaving a location associated with an ongoing police investigation and travelling south through the RM of Corman Park. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the driver continued a short distance before turning onto a rural property.
As the officer approached, a second vehicle appeared to be attempting to interfere with the stop. Both vehicles were subsequently stopped on the property, and three people were arrested as officers investigated. One was found to be wanted on multiple outstanding warrants. Officers also seized unstamped tobacco from two of the individuals.
Both drivers provided oral fluid samples using approved roadside drug-screening equipment. Both samples tested positive for THC, resulting in 72-hour driver’s licence suspensions and three-day vehicle impoundments. An additional impoundment was imposed for failing to stop for police.
Partner law enforcement agencies assisted with the investigation. One individual was later released with a requirement to appear in court on the outstanding warrant matters. All involved received documentation relating to the resulting enforcement actions.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on September 22, police stopped a vehicle on Highway 219 to check the driver’s licence, vehicle registration and sobriety. The driver was subject to a conditional sentence order that prohibited her from consuming alcohol or possessing drugs without a prescription.
During the stop, the driver admitted consuming alcohol and was arrested for an alleged breach of the order. She was also required to provide a breath sample into an approved screening device, which registered an “Alert.” A search following her arrest located fentanyl for which she did not have a prescription.
The driver received multiple offence notices and a 60-day driver’s licence suspension. She was taken to the Saskatoon RCMP detachment and held to appear before a hearing officer regarding the alleged breaches of her conditional sentence order.
Just before midnight on September 24, CPPS officers found two men walking unsafely on the highway near the junction of Highways 11 and 12. Both were intoxicated, and one was wanted on multiple arrest warrants from RCMP detachments across Saskatchewan.
Both men were taken into custody and transported to the Saskatoon RCMP detachment. The man with outstanding warrants was held for court the next morning. The other remained in custody overnight until he was sober enough to care for himself.
Early in the evening of September 25, a resident reported a white Toyota RAV4 being driven erratically near the Hamlet of Merrill Hills. Officers were initially unable to locate it. Later that evening, a suspicious-vehicle complaint involving a vehicle of the same description led police to the Grasswood Road area, where they located the vehicle.
The driver appeared to be in distress, but officers found no indication of alcohol or drug impairment. They attended to his well-being, and the investigation into his driving remains ongoing.
On the afternoon of September 26, an officer stopped a vehicle on Highway 219 after observing the manner in which it was being driven. The driver showed signs of drug impairment and was required to provide an oral fluid sample, which tested positive for THC.
This was the probationary driver’s second positive roadside drug-screening result. He received a 120-day driver’s licence suspension, and the vehicle was impounded.
On September 27, a CPPS officer in Saskatoon was flagged down by two people who had reportedly been involved in a physical altercation. Following an investigation, one person was arrested for assault. One of those involved later indicated they did not wish to pursue the assault complaint.
While at the scene, the officer also found another person unconscious in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle. That individual was arrested for impaired operation of a vehicle. Saskatoon Police Service was contacted and directed that a roadside driver’s licence suspension be issued.
All parties involved received tickets under provincial legislation for consuming alcohol in a vehicle. They were also provided with transportation home.
Shortly after midnight on September 28, CPPS stopped a vehicle for excessive speed on Highway 16 between Boychuk Drive and Zimmerman Road. During the investigation, officers formed grounds to arrest the driver for alcohol-impaired driving. The driver subsequently provided two breath samples to a qualified technician, both producing readings of 150 mg%. The driver was charged with impaired operation and operating a conveyance with a blood alcohol concentration over 80 mg%. The accused was released to the care of a sober individual with dates to appear in court and for fingerprints.
On a personal note, I would like to thank the Hamlet Councils that have invited me to attend their annual general meetings. These conversations give me an opportunity to hear residents’ concerns, learn how they view CPPS and listen to their kind words about our members. That feedback helps us better understand what matters to the communities we serve.
If your hamlet or community group is hosting a meeting or event you would like me to attend, please contact our office at police.service@cormanparkpolice.ca I welcome the opportunity to listen, answer questions and discuss public safety in your community.