ESTEVAN — The Estevan Police Service (EPS) continued to see an increase in call volumes for the first three months of 2026.
According to numbers released at the April 16 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, the EPS had 565 calls for service in March, up from 512 for the same month in 2025. Through the first three months of the year, the EPS responded to 1,587 calls, a 16 per cent jump from 1,372 calls through March 31, 2025.
Crimes against the person were at 16 in March, with 11 assaults and five sexual crimes, compared to 20 crimes against the person last year. Through the first three months of the year, the EPS had 24 assaults, 10 sexual crimes and four assaults causing bodily harm, for a total of 38 crimes against the person, up two from 36 for the first three months of 2025.
Member-at-large Roberta DeRosier asked about sexual crimes, which are up two from the first three months of 2025 but roughly double the five-year average of five. Blunden said there have been a number of sextortion incidents that bumped up the numbers.
Insp. Tyler McMillen added it could be due to partnerships the EPS has with agencies like the Envision Counselling and Support Centre, or it might be from people being more willing to come forward.
Twenty-three crimes against property were reported to the EPS in March, 11 of them for mischief/wilful damage. The EPS also had five thefts under $5,000, two thefts over $5,000, one theft of a motor vehicle, two business break and enters, one residential break and enter and one break and enter listed as other. The EPS has had 33 crimes against property in March 2025.
So far this year, the EPS has handled 94 reports of crimes against property, including 39 thefts under $5,000, 25 mischief/wilful damage complaints, 13 thefts of a motor vehicle, three thefts over $5,000, eight residential break and enters, five business break and enters, and one break and enter listed as other.
There were 81 crimes against property in the first three months of 2025.
Blunden believes the EPS is on the right track for trying to bring down the crimes against property, based on the numbers for March.
“We still have some work to do on the property area,” said Blunden. “We always have that little bit of work to do.”
Two of the mischief/wilful damage complaints were related to motor vehicles, he said, with one out of malice and the other being domestic-related. Two more mischief incidents were unfounded, Blunden said, and two had insufficient evidence to proceed. Others are being investigated.
“A number of them are pulling off the plywood to get into a building,” Blunden said.
Two incidents occurred under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, with one for trafficking and one for possession. In the first three months of the year, the EPS has had four trafficking incidents and three possession infractions under the CDSA, compared to five trafficking calls through March 31, 2025.
As for Criminal Code traffic violations, the EPS had 12 incidents in March, with six for impaired/exceed-related offences, five for impairment by drug and one for dangerous driving and other. The EPS had 11 in March 2025.
Through March 31, the EPS had 37 such violations, with 23 impaired/exceed-related offences, 12 for impairment by drug and two for dangerous driving and other. There were 19 such infraction in the first three months of last year.
The total number of calls for service so far this year is in line with the five-year average of 1,581. The average is 37 crimes against the person, 79 crimes against property, 29 Criminal Code traffic violations and 12 infractions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
