Over the course of the next few weeks, there could be some younger faces than you would usually see in the passenger seat of a police vehicle in Weyburn. They are students from the Emergency Services Response Training class at Weyburn Comprehensive School. 

“Basically, an emergency services class for students that may be interested in a career in emergency services, so they see some exposure to everything from EMS to fire to police,” said Deputy Police Chief Brent VanDeSype.  

While there is a crucial in class component to the course, part of it allows them to go out into the field, so to speak, according to VanDeSype. 

“There part with the police here, the Weyburn city police, is they’ll come for a ride-along and tour our office, and kind of be joined at the hip with an officer for a few hours,” he explained.  

While the students are taking part in the ride-alongs, the officers will still be going about all of their regular duties.  

“Our calls vary from hour to hour, so some have their eyes opened a little bit and some see routine traffic stops.” 

The ride-along program isn’t a new thing, either. The course has been offered at WCS for a number of years, and the experience of the ride-alongs has been described as positive for both the students and the participating officers.