YORKTON — A five-day traffic operation in the greater Yorkton area led to 23 drivers being taken off the road for drug or alcohol impairment, according to Saskatchewan RCMP.
From Feb. 18 to 22, Yorkton Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) carried out a five-day patrol operation targeting impaired drivers on the highways connecting Yorkton to its surrounding communities. CTSS units from Saskatoon RCMP, Yorkton RCMP and Lanigan RCMP were joined by the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol (SHP) for the coordinated event.
On Feb. 18, they patrolled the Saskatoon-Lanigan-Yorkton area; on Feb. 19, the Yorkton-Langenburg-Esterhazy area; on Feb. 20, the Yorkton-Foam Lake-Wynyard area; on Feb. 21, the Kamsack-Canora-Yorkton-Melville area; and on Feb. 22, the Yorkton-Punnichy-Wynyard area.
During these patrols, police officers tested 405 vehicle drivers for impairment.
As a result of these stops, officers:
-issued 304 warnings and 231 tickets (84 of which were for using cellphones);
-suspended three driver’s licences for alcohol consumption prior to driving;
-suspended 17 driver’s licences for drug consumption prior to driving;
-charged two drivers with one count of operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol;
-charged one driver with on count of operating a vehicle while impaired by drug;
-charged one driver with one count of operating a vehicle while prohibited;
-inspected five private vehicles and 13 commercial vehicles; and
-seized over nine kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan units across Saskatchewan will continue to patrol roads and highways to help reduce the risks of serious and fatal collisions and make Saskatchewan roadways safer.
Currently, 86 Saskatchewan RCMP police officers and 34 municipal police officers are part of CTSS in 18 CTSS units across Saskatchewan.
