In order to address the growing concern over distracted driving and other poor driving habits that put lives in danger, the Estevan Police Service will be creating an integrated traffic unit with local RCMP, allowing police to cover more ground when it comes to monitoring traffic in the city.
The unit is a part of the Combined Traffic Services of Saskatchewan.
The project will integrate the existing local RCMP traffic unit that currently monitors traffic on highways with the EPS.
“Now, rather than just having two traffic officers, there will be a total of six patrolling Estevan,” said Estevan police Chief, Paul Ladouceur.
The combined efforts of the two departments will theoretically help police focus on problem areas within Estevan that, if left unchecked, result in fatalities.
“It’s like the transient drug culture. We often see police working together because we know if a drug dealer is in Regina, the product is likely to make it to Estevan,” Ladouceur explained. “It’s a very different scenario but the analogy is somewhat similar.
“In other words, if someone is breaking the law and speeding on a highway, chances are they’re going to be in our community at one point or another, and if they have a bad habit of speeding or texting while driving, that’s not going to change when they reach Estevan.”
The integrated traffic unit will provide officers with better training opportunities and extra resources, Ladouceur added.
Provincial funding is helping with the creation of the new project, and the $260,000 coming from the province is being reallocated through SGI.
This covers a new Chevy Tahoe alongside the officers’ salary, vehicle maintenance, insurance and fuel.
The new vehicle will complement the EPS’ existing Tahoe, which was added in early January 2015 and purchased through the existing police budget.
“We felt that we didn’t have adequate vehicles for extreme weather conditions,” Ladouceur said, noting the 4x4 capabilities and the overall superior durability of the vehicle will allow it to not only operate in poor weather, but also last longer than their existing cruisers.
Like impaired driving, distracted driving is a gamble Ladouceur said many people still take while on the road.
“It has the potential to ruin a person’s life,” Ladouceur said.
