The weekend was especially busy for members of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) with several events being staged in and around the city which increased the need for additional vigilance and policing action.
The extra activity began as early as the night of April 30 when a 22-year-old man was arrested and charged by police for production of a controlled substance as well as possession of a controlled substance exceeding 30 grams.
Police were called to an apartment building by the owner who was requesting their assistance in dealing with a problem tenant.
The matter turned into a controlled substance investigation and the deployment of a search warrant that eventually led to police dismantling a grow operation and the seizure of a quantity of marijuana paraphernalia and other equipment used for the production of the contraband plants.
The man was taken into custody and appeared in court the next morning before being released with a May 27 court date.
Police were also asked to look into an alleged assault incident that occurred at a residence during a party.
On May 2, EPS members were asked to look into a complaint of a motorcycle running in a garage in the neighbourhood. Police checked with the bike's owner who noted he was doing an engine check to track down a problem. He was warned about the city's noise bylaw.
Police were then called to a lounge to check into a report of an intoxicated man who was asking patrons for drugs, or asking them if they knew where he could get some drugs. The 48-year-old subject became agitated when police arrived, so he was removed by police and arrested for being intoxicated in public. He was held in cells until sober.
May 3 became a day for bylaw enforcement action pertaining to illegally parked vehicles, barking dogs and a hit and run investigation.
Police also received a report of a vehicle driving by a school bus while the bus had the stop arms and flashing lights activated. This investigation continues.
The night before, EPS members reported that they investigated an accident involving a vehicle that had slowed down to allow a person in the downtown crosswalk to cross the street. A person driving a vehicle behind the slowed-down vehicle was distracted and ran into the back of the vehicle that was yielding to the pedestrian.
Police later impounded an unregistered vehicle and the driver was charged with driving while suspended.
During that same shift, EPS members charged a 36-year-old driver for driving while impaired and driving while his blood-alcohol content was over .08 per cent. He now has a June 17 court date.
On the night of May 4, EPS members attended to a noisy party complaint, arrested a 50-year-old Estevan man for public intoxication, attended to a local lounge in response to a report of a man causing a disturbance and handed a 23-year-old driver a 24-hour driving suspension following a roadside check.
The activity was just beginning, however, as shortly after this, a 42-year-old Ituna man was charged with driving while over .08 and his 47-year-old passenger was arrested for being intoxicated in a public place.
An ongoing dispute between the owners of neighbouring properties attracted police attention during the next shift. The dispute occurred in the north central area of the city. Both owners were spoken to separately in an attempt to mediate the situation. They eventually agreed to work out their differences in a positive manner.
A report of a blond-haired man in a black hoodie breaking into vehicles in the north central part of the city was looked into. The suspect fled the area when he noticed the complainant tracking him.
A 48-year-old Macoun woman was arrested for causing a disturbance at a concert in Spectra Place. She was lodged in cells for several hours before being released.
A 34-year-old Winnipeg man was arrested after he was observed consuming illegal narcotics inside a cabaret venue. He was lodged in cells until sober and this matter remains under investigation.
A 36-year-old Moose Jaw man was arrested for being intoxicated in public at a cabaret in the north central area of the city that same night. He was lodged in cells until regaining sobriety.
Police then fielded a 911 call from a distraught 29-year-old woman who indicated she required police assistance. She was unsure of her exact location, but with further conversation and investigation she was located and transported to St. Joseph's Hospital for further care.
A 21-year-old Estevan man was arrested later on in the evening for being intoxicated in a public place, the cabaret in the north central area of the city. He resisted arrest and now has a court date.
A 32-year-old man from Lampman called EPS that same night requesting assistance. The man, who was in distress, was located and transported to the Estevan Police Service station where emergency medical service attendants paid him a visit and subsequently transported him to St. Joseph's Hospital for further care.
EPS members were also asked to look into the theft of a vehicle from the north central area of the city that evening.
On May 5, police received a report of a domestic dispute in the south central part of the city. A 39-year-old woman and 33-year-old man were involved in the dispute. The man was taken to the Estevan Police Service station while the female came to the station on her own. The two in the dispute left the station separately and no further action was required.
A report of a fight breaking out among several men in the central part of the city was responded to by police. A vehicle containing two of the men was located as it was leaving the area. The investigation revealed that three co-workers had become engaged in a physical confrontation, but all participants had left the area so no further policing action was required.
