ESTEVAN — The trend of lower call volumes for members of the Estevan Police Service continued in November.
According to numbers released at the Dec. 17 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, the EPS had 526 calls for service last month, down from 560 for the same month in 2024. For the year, the EPS had 6,573 calls, down 4.4 per cent from 6,877 for the same period a year earlier.
The EPS had seven assaults and one assault causing bodily harm for a total of eight crimes against the person in November. Members also had eight such calls for the same month last year.
In the first 11 months of this year, the EPS had 144 crimes against the person, down from 157 for the same month last year. There were 115 assaults, 15 sexual crimes, 13 assaults causing bodily harm and one murder.
The EPS handled 27 crimes against property in each of November 2024 and November 2025. The EPS had 15 thefts under $5,000 last month, along with seven mischief/wilful damage complaints, four residential break and enters,and one theft of a motor vehicle.
As of Nov. 30, the EPS had 401 crimes against property, led by 215 thefts under $5,000 and 118 mischief incidents. Other calls included 27 residential break and enters, 27 thefts of a motor vehicle, seven business break and enters, four thefts over $5,000, two arsons and one break and enter listed as other.
The EPS has seen a slight increase in thefts under $5,000 this year, Blunden said, and that’s something the agency wants to monitor.
“I think we have a plan for the future moving into 2026,” said Blunden, adding the issue of property crime will be addressed in an updated strategic plan.
No charges occurred under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in November 2024 or 2025. There were 16 incidences of trafficking and seven for possession, for a total of 23 as of Nov. 30. There were 26 incidences in the first 11 months of 2024.
The EPS had five Criminal Code traffic violations last month, half as many as they had in 2024. Last month there were three impaired/exceed related offences, one impairment by drug, and one listed as dangerous drive and other.
As of Nov. 30, the EPS had 62 impaired/exceed related offences, 25 impairment by drug incidents and 13 for dangerous driving and other. There were 125 such incidents for the same period in 2024.
Impaired driving by drug is staying stable, Blunden said, and the EPS has to do more on that front.
Member at large Roberta DeRosier asked about the challenge of detecting impairment by drug versus alcohol. Blunden responded it would have been an issue five years ago, when they didn’t have the same ability to detect as they do now, but another officer is now a drug recognition expert.
“The public has to realize that the technology and the expertise is out there to catch them, so they have to treat it like they would alcohol as well,” said Blunden.
The five-year average is 141 crimes against the person, 355 crimes against property, 118 Criminal Code traffic violations and 28 CDSA incidents, and a total of 7,140 incidents.
