SASKATOOON, Sask. — A Rail Safety Week enforcement initiative from Sept. 21 – 27 in Saskatoon led to the arrests of two wanted individuals, say police.
As part of bringing awareness to the campaign, members of the Saskatoon Police Traffic Unit conducted an enforcement initiative recently that resulted in the arrests of two people.
At around 3:30 p.m. Sept. 22, members of the Traffic Unit participating in a project in the area of Avenue W South and 11th Street West as part of Rail Safety Week received an automated license plate reader notification for a vehicle with a suspended registered owner. A traffic stop was conducted a short distance away where it was observed that two passengers were not wearing seat belts. Officers identified the passengers of the vehicle for the purpose of issuing tickets for failing to wear a seatbelt; one of the occupants initially provided a false name but was later identified.
Through continued investigation, officers determined both passengers were wanted on warrants; the 27-year-old male passenger was wanted Canada-wide for three counts of assault, robbery, and theft under $5,000 out of Vancouver, and the 23-year-old female passenger was found to be unlawfully at large out of Regina and wanted Canada-wide for breach of statutory release. While searching the female passenger, officers located bear spray and a collapsible baton. A search of the vehicle located several bottles of unopened alcohol.
As a result, both passengers were arrested on their outstanding warrants and issued tickets for failing to wear a seatbelt. The 23-year-old woman was additionally charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace, possession of a prohibited weapon, and obstruction. The driver of the vehicle was found not to be the suspended registered owner and was released without charges.
Later, through ongoing investigation, officers learned that a separate call for service had been made shortly before the traffic stop for a theft in progress at a business in the 3000 block of Clarence Avenue South in which multiple bottles of alcohol had been stolen. In reviewing video evidence of the theft, the suspects were identified as the man and woman arrested in the earlier traffic stop. Both were additionally charged with theft Under $5,000.
Rail Safety Week is led by Operation Lifesaver Canada, which is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing incidents at railway crossings and along railway property.
