One police department's bad luck has turned into some good luck for the Estevan Police Service.
The EPS had its ranks swell in December when it graduated four new officers from the Saskatchewan Police College in Regina. Initially the EPS was only expecting to have two new officers - Constables Landon Polk and Paul Chabot - but received word that the RM of Wilton near Lloydminster had decided to switch from a municipal police force to the RCMP.
That switch meant the two officers Wilton had in the college - Constables Mischa Shewchuk and Michael Hamel - were without a place to work once they graduated. EPS Chief Del Block was able to do some quick work and when the pair graduated from the police college on Dec. 14, they were hired to work for the EPS.
"It's a win-win for the police department and the city of Estevan," Block said. "We got two recruits fully trained, with no cost. It was a savings of about $40,000 to the City."
The new officers come at a good time, Block noted. They lost Sgt. Gary Eagles to retirement in 2012 and expect another retirement in 2013. They also have two officers on leave at the moment.
"We have one surplus officer at the moment and that will be taken up in 2013 with retirement," Block said. "We are sitting in a nice spot right now. I can get the traffic section going again. That was just starting to pay dividends and I had to pull the traffic guy off and you can see it in the city. We can direct the officers wherever we have a priority.
"I've said over the years, we have gone from a proactive police force to a reactive police and with these new officers I am hoping we can be more proactive and do some more stuff to prevent crime instead of just reacting to it."
Block added the EPS might be able to pick up some of the Wilton police department's equipment, notably two fully equipped 4X4 trucks.
"We don't have a 4X4 for patrol and if we get a winter storm, then we are borrowing and taking from other sections. (The trucks from Wilton) are fully ready to go to work and I can probably acquire both of them for the price of getting one brand new one on the street."
