The Estevan Police Service has ramped up its presence around Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) following complaints of reckless driving in the parking lot and surrounding areas.
The increased monitoring comes after concerns were raised by the school's administration about safety risks posed by both students and parents during peak times, such as drop-off and pick-up.
“We’ve advised them that we’ll spend some extra passing attention to that area to make sure the drivers are all within the letter of the law, and to make sure that everybody is aware of the educational piece, that they’re still bound to be driving under the Traffic Act and driving responsibly as young adults,” said Police Chief Jamie Blunden.
Blunden noted that the main issue appears to be congestion and irresponsible driving. While students account for the majority of infractions, parents also contribute to the problem, particularly during busy times such as morning drop-off, lunchtime, and after-school pick-up.
To address this, police have increased their visibility and enforcement efforts around the school.
“We’ve stepped up enforcement in that area, with more high visibility, so that everybody behaves themselves and it becomes safer for students and parents,” Blunden said.
He also emphasized the importance of safety in school zones: “Anytime you’re in and around school zones, get your heads up, stay away from your phones or anything that would distract you from driving. Let’s slow down and make sure it’s safe for everybody out there.”
While details on issued tickets or warnings have not been confirmed, Blunden said officers from the Traffic Unit and general duty officers have been present at the school. The increased enforcement will continue as long as necessary, depending on driver compliance.
“We’re going to monitor it… if drivers start to behave themselves a little bit, we can shift attention to other areas,” he said.
Blunden reiterated the need for caution, especially during high-volume times, and urged both drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.