Estevan's new police chief, Jamie Blunden, looks forward to embracing the opportunities in his new position while continuing to strengthen ties between the Estevan Police Service and the Weyburn Police Service.
“I’m very excited to go to Estevan, but it’s bittersweet. I’ve enjoyed my time in Weyburn, and there are some good people there, but Estevan is opening some doors, and I know the community as well as the members there are fantastic,” Blunden said.
Weyburn and Estevan have collaborated on several occasions, including as recently as last week, which Blunden believes will greatly aid his transition.
“Policing is about relationships. It’s relationships with the community, with your members, with the board, but it’s also a relationship with other organizations. Estevan and Weyburn are so close to each other, and we do have a joint tactical support team,” Blunden said.
“We saw that last year when we had a couple of critical incidents in Estevan and sent some members. If something happened in Weyburn, I would expect we would do the same. It’s extremely important to have those relationships where you’re working in conjunction with each other.”
Blunden, who has extensive experience from his time with the Winnipeg Police Department, previously worked with Estevan’s current chief, Rich Lowen. They had different career paths but collaborated in some instances. “While he was in the superintendent rank, I was working in other areas in the service. My last assignment was under specialized investigation, and he was the superintendent overseeing that,” Blunden noted.
Blunden pointed out that Estevan and Weyburn face similar challenges, particularly with crime rates and severity. “The two cities mimic one another with respect to crime rates and the crime severity index. We’ve seen fluctuations in rankings from year to year depending on the incidents that occur,” he said.
He added that in smaller communities, any critical incident can significantly impact crime statistics.
Estevan and Weyburn also face ongoing issues with drug prevalence. The two cities are working together through their drug enforcement units to target key individuals involved in criminal activities. “Most police members know the key players and those consistently involved in crime,” Blunden said.
On how he plans to transition into the role he plans on talking to everybody. “I’ve learned that getting everybody’s opinion is important. I believe in certain leadership, empowering the people around you, and making them a part of the team,” Blunden said.
Blunden was also asked about his loyalty during hockey season and admitted it has been a tough choice between the Estevan Bruins and Weyburn Red Wings. He joked about considering a dual-sided jersey to satisfy both fan bases.
“Here’s the best-case scenario: we go to game seven of the finals with Estevan and Weyburn. We go into overtime, and Estevan wins. That’s the perfect scenario for me as chief of Estevan,” Blunden said.
“You fight for the team you are on. I will be donning a gold and black jersey and will certainly be supporting the Bruins,” he added.
Outgoing Chief Rich Lowen's last day will be August 31, with Deputy Chief Warren Morrical to act as interim chief. Blunden will be starting in Estevan on October 15.
“I’ve enjoyed my time in Weyburn tremendously, but I’m really looking forward to the next stage in my career, looking after the members and the community in Estevan, and working with their police board,” Blunden said.