The Estevan Police Service has a few new faces that will be joining the service, as two officers have joined up this summer, with two others just starting the process of joining up.
Csts. Jesse Peterson and Keaten Tarnes recently graduated from the Saskatchewan Police College and have joined the Estevan Police Service as they undergo field training. Meanwhile Csts. Josie Palmer and Colin Sutter have recently been sworn in as Probationary Constables, attending the College from July 22 - December 12.
The four officers in total will be joining up with the EPS, and Chief Jamie Blunden says getting new skills into the service is beneficial for the whole of Estevan.
"I think at the end of the day, if we develop the skills of individuals coming out of class, it benefits the community itself. For example, here, since I've been in Estevan, we've trained all of the supervisors up to standards with respect to leadership. So we've got all the supervisors plus the two ICs, they're second in command. They all have the same leadership program that we've trained them with."
With that leadership program, Blunden says the new officers with college-standard training will be paired off with a training officer who will help them develop the necessary skills needed, centring autonomy, mastery, and purpose as key skills in the service.
"Give them the ability to self-direct, but the only way they're going to self-direct is if you give them the skills and the tools to be able to do it. And then, of course, that last part is the purpose. What are we doing it for? It's for the safety of the community, and it's for the citizens here in Estevan."
The province revealed that more officers would be hired through its $11.9 million Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods commitment to hire approximately 100 new municipal police officers.