Estevan Police Service (EPS) members continued their crackdown on impaired drivers, while dealing with complaints of scams and a suspicious person.
Steven McKechnie, 60, of Lloydminster, was arrested and charged with impaired driving and driving while over .08 after a motor vehicle collision on the west side of the city on Oct. 20. McKechnie will appear in Estevan Provincial Court on Dec. 14 to answer to the charges.
Police responded to a complaint of a possible impaired driver in the early morning hours of Oct. 21. Several vehicles matching the vehicle’s description were stopped in the area.
Members then received a complaint of mischief to a vehicle parked in at the Estevan Comprehensive School’s parking lot. Items were also stolen from inside the truck. The EPS is requesting anyone with information regarding this incident contact them or Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.
Several complaints of suspicious people selling security systems were reported during the Oct. 22 day shift. The adult men were located and spoken to.
Police also received a report of a mystery shopper scam. The complainant was not out any money. The public is reminded to use caution when dealing with internet-based businesses that are not known to them.
The EPS also received several other reports that day of possible Canada Revenue Agency and wire transfer frauds. These matters are being looked into.
Police preformed a check stop for an impaired driver on King Street early in the evening of Oct. 22. Police checked Shaun Lester, a 35-year-old Oxbow male, and found that he was impaired. After failing the road side screening test, he was placed under arrest and transported back to the police station, and was found to be twice the legal limit. He will appear in Estevan Provincial Court in November to answer to the charges.
Members received a call during the Oct. 23 day shift of a suspicious female spotted in the area of Hillcrest School the day before. The woman was seen in the south end of the city and spoke to a child while the student was heading home at lunch. The young girl told her parents what had happened, and then the school and police were notified the following day. It is not known what the intentions were in this incident, and the identity of the female is not known at this time. Police are encouraging parents to have talks with their children and to go over their safety plans when strangers talk to them or approach them. Officers applaud the girl for speaking to her parents. Police will be on the lookout around schools for any suspicious activity.
Police responded to a residential alarm on the west end of the city. A male was located at the scene but it was determined he was associated with the homeowner and allowed to
be there.
Officers responded to an emergency dispatch from an OnStar system. Police located the vehicle and there wasn’t an emergency.
A 49-year-old Estevan woman was lodged in cells for public intoxication during the Oct. 23 night shift, after she was seen grabbing another woman outside a local establishment.
Members then responded to a weapons call in the Willow Park Greens trailer park area. Allegations of an assault are still under investigation.
A 28-year-old Estevan male was issued a 72-hour driving suspension after a traffic stop near the Perkins Street and Souris Avenue South intersection.
Officers received a report of a hit-and-run during the Oct. 24 day shift. There were some inconsistencies in the story given to police regarding the damage to the vehicle. Police do not believe it is a hit-and-run and are investigating the matter as a collision, a public mischief complaint and a fraud. The matter remains under investigation.
Police, along with Estevan Fire and Rescue Services and EMS, were dispatched to an east end hotel to a report of people trapped in an elevator. On arrival it was learned there were several people in both elevators. The fire department freed the hotel guests from the elevators. No one needed medical attention and nobody was injured.
A report of a mischief to a vehicle came in from the 900 block of Fourth Street. The back window was smashed out of it. There aren’t any suspects at this time, but police are asking for anyone with information to please come forward.
Police received several calls from people saying they had received a text message, stating that someone wants to give them money, and asking for their email address in a corresponding message. This appears to be another scam and people are urged not to respond to the text or email.
Members responded to a break and enter on Eighth Street during the Oct. 24 night shift. Entry was gained through the back door. The matter is still under investigation.
Officers were called to a barking dog complaint on Fifth Street. The home owner was warned.
Police conducted check stops during the night shifts on Oct. 23 and 24, and checked more than 100 vehicles.
Police were called to a number of alarms during the Oct. 25 day shift. They all proved to be false.
Greg Gress, 37, of Estevan, was arrested during the Oct. 23 night shift for failing to comply with curfew conditions, after members were called to a noise complaint. Gress was lodged in cells and later released in front of a justice of the peace with conditions.
Members then conducted a conditions check on Gress during the Oct. 25 day shift. He was found to be in possession of cocaine and in breach of four of his conditions. He was held in custody and appeared in court on Oct. 26.
Police also responded to a number of false alarms throughout the city.
Members were alerted of a couple of potential impaired drivers during the Oct. 25 night shift. The first was in the east end of the city, after a hit-and-run was reported. The license plate of the vehicle was obtained and the matter is still under investigation.
Officers were then called to an erratic driver complaint on Highway 39 near the city limits. The vehicle was located and the driver was not impaired. He was warned about his driving actions.
