The province of Saskatchewan has changed trespass regulations, in a move that they say will better empower local authorities to make arrests. Particularly, they're focusing those efforts on drug use, including prohibited samples such as fentanyl and methamphetamines.
Estevan Police Service Chief Jamie Blunden talks about the new regulations and what they do for policing.
"Before in the past, we would have to have the property owner to be involved either through a statement and possibly follow up through court attendance. This update to the Act allows us as police officers to enforce the Trespass Act without actually having the involvement of the property owner through statements or having to go to court. If we see it, we can enforce it."
Blunden says the situation does pop up in the community sometimes, such as when a person is intoxicated in a public place and police cannot arrest them right away.
The change will help to give police that new tool institutions that involve public spaces.
"It's going to give us the authority to walk in there, and if they're doing something that is going to cause us concern, we can certainly use the Trespass Act in order to diffuse that sort of situation and that uncomfortableness, I guess, with the businesses."
Blunden is hoping to see more work done to update regulations in the future, saying that the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police has recently been discussing the Compassionate Intervention Act.
The Alberta program is being watched by Saskatchewan police to see how that works out and if it could be an option in our province.
"It'll give us an opportunity to look at somebody that really needs some assistance and be able to force them into some treatment of some sort just for their well-being, and so that's something that we'd certainly look at and entertain."
Blunden says the program would need to be done appropriately with the proper criteria, but believes it could be a force for good for Saskatchewan.