Designated driver kept some party goers out of troubleTwo vehicles checked but only one driver charged. The benefits of ensuring your group has a designated driver paid off in some respects for one lounge-visiting group in Estevan last Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. Estevan Police Service members said that on that night, they received two calls regarding two separate vehicles that were seen leaving a local lounge around 2 a.m.The callers expressed concerns that the drivers of these vehicles could be impaired. Both vehicles were intercepted on King Street and one driver was arrested and charged with impaired driving and driving while his blood-alcohol level was over .08 per cent. He was given a September 23 court date. The driver of the other vehicle in question was found to be sober and was, in fact, a designated driver for the vehicle's passengers so no further police action was required. The next night EPS members received a couple of calls regarding suspicious activities. The first call came from a resident in the central part of the city who said she had seen someone in her yard with a flashlight. When police arrived, they determined that a neighbour had been out walking his dog and had been passing by the yard, not entering it, so no further action was required. The second call involved a school playground where a local resident reported that some young people were in the playground acting suspiciously.Police attended the scene and spoke to the children, but did not discern any problems or any acts of mischief so the matter was concluded. On the night of September 2, police charged a 25-year-old man for impaired driving and driving while over .08 following a traffic stop on the city's east side. The man has a September 30 court date. On September 3, police received a report of an attempted theft where two men entered a home in the southwest part of the city and attempted to steal a safe. No further details were available and the matter remains under investigation. On the night of September 4, a 24-year-old man was charged with impaired driving after police initiated a traffic stop on a golf cart that was being driven in the northwest part of the city. A 20-year-old Estevan man was also charged with impaired driving following a traffic stop in the central part of the city that same night. Police were also asked to look into one report of a stolen vehicle, taken from a local business parking lot, plus a report of an attempted break and enter. In that instance a tenant woke to the sound of glass being broken at a back door of a home. Entry was not gained but the matter remains under investigation. A report of damages being inflicted on a vehicle was received by EPS members on September 4. The vehicle had been keyed (scratched with a sharp object) while parked in the central part of the city. The incident remains under investigation. On the night of September 5, police responded to a complaint of a loud party in the 1200 block of King Street. As a result of their attendance, police charged one man for being intoxicated in public and for urinating in a public place under the local bylaw. A report of a domestic dispute led to charges being laid against a 37-year-old man on September 5. Police also received a report of a stolen laptop computer on the night of September 5. The theft occurred in the central part of the city and it was believed that two men who had been invited into the home were responsible for the theft so the investigation continues.
