For police officers, the job entails a lot more than just enforcing the laws. Occasionally, they are called upon to assist the public in various matters, often being there to keep the peace, to help prevent a potential call later down the line.

Over the past few weeks, the Weyburn Police Service has highlighted some of those calls in their weekly releases that are sent to the media and posted to their social media. 

Acting Police Chief Rod Stafford said these sorts of situations generally arise from a phone call to the police service themselves.

“A lot of those instances are not specific police-related, or perhaps don’t have any legal issues that police can take action in, but oftentimes we do go in the spirit of community policing,” Stafford explained.

Some of the situations where police assist includes custody exchanges between parents, watching while someone moves items out of a home during a contentious situation, or even accompanying a landlord to assist them when dealing with tenants.

“To make sure the peace is kept, and that landlords can do what they need to do, whether its an eviction notice, or serve an eviction notice, or actually evict people, and just stand by and make sure the peace is kept and no one gets assaulted or threatened,” Stafford said, describing one of the situations.

He was quick to point out, however, that residents shouldn’t make a habit of having the police on hand. They do help pout when they can, as long as officers are available, and there are no other pressing matters at hand.

“If we determine that it’s probably better to assist at the outset as opposed to having to get involved once the law might be broken down the process, then that’s the better course of action and we’ll do what we can to assist in those things, providing it’s not going to take too long, and providing we don’t get called to something more pressing’” said Stafford.

Stafford pointed out that enforcement is often a last resort, and these activities are a way to promote community policing while ensuring there are no threats to public safety or laws broken, which is often a better policy, to begin with.