Noisy dogs, thefts, and a focus on traffic safety: Latest Police Report

Last week the Weyburn Police Service gave special attention to traffic safety, issuing a total of 15 tickets under the Traffic Safety Act along with several warnings. A high visibility enforcement project was conducted on the evening of Thursday, February 15th, resulting in 3 tickets being issued over the course of 6 hours. Traffic related charges throughout the last week include driving without a valid license, disobeying a stop sign or traffic signal, using a cell phone while driving, and speeding. A vehicle was also discovered by Weyburn Police, abandoned in the middle of the street. The owner could not be located, so officers had the abandoned vehicle towed to clear the way.

Read more HERE.

Weyburn Police are also continuing their increased patrols of school zones due to the high number of traffic and parking violations that occur there. They're reminding residents to pay attention to signs which state where and when parking is allowed, as well as posted speed limits, for the safety of children. Additionally, a report of a vehicle passing a school bus that had its lights flashing and stop sign extended is currently under investigation. The law states that traffic should pause from both directions while a school bus is loading and unloading children. Failing to do so can put children at risk, and also carries heavy penalties. Video surveillance of the vehicle that failed to comply has been given to Weyburn Police to aid in their investigation.

A recurring complaint received by the Service over the last week was for noisy dogs, or dogs at large. Officers followed up on these calls and were able to issue warnings to some dog owners regarding the excessive noise, but some other incidents are still being looked into.

"We understand. Lots of us are pet owners too, so we try and work with the owners and just try and come up with a solution so it doesn't have to go to that fine route," explained Constable Preston Roy. "If it isn't handled accordingly, then sometimes we have to go down that path. But like I said, we always try and work with the owner to come up with a solution where everyone's happy."

The WPS is reminding pet owners that the city bylaws do not allow dogs or cats to run free, for the reasons of both general safety and sanitation. 

On Wednesday, officers responded to a reported theft from a local business. Thanks to video surveillance and the community helping to identify the suspect, an adult man was charged accordingly and released with an upcoming court date. Officers also responded to a domestic disturbance where two adults were locked in a verbal argument. After speaking with each party, Weyburn Police were able to resolve the dispute peacefully with no charges laid.

Another theft was reported by a local business on Friday. This complaint identified an individual that has caused issues for the business in the past. This incident is being investigated by the WPS. 

In total, 90 calls for service were received from February 12th-18th. 4 charges were laid under the Criminal Code of Canada, with 3 relating to a failure to comply with conditions of release or a court order and 1 relating to a theft. Weyburn police also responded to security alarms, suspicious persons or vehicles, bylaw concerns, mental health concerns, and conducted wellness checks within the community.