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Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Issue 42
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Bypass Collision First responders and workers combined their efforts to ensure safety at the intersection between Hwy. 47 and the Estevan truck bypass, on Feb. 15. An eastbound semi truck collided with a southbound car. As a result of the collision, both vehicles were extensively damaged and two people were hospitalized, but later released. It took emergency crews several hours to clear out the area and extract the truck from the ditch, and reopen the area to normal traffic flow. Photo by Sam Macdonald
Local police looking to permanently seize vehicles of repeat impaired drivers By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan Police Service (EPS) is looking at a new and tougher approach when it comes to its ongoing crusade against impaired driving. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said the EPS wants to permanently seize the vehicles of motorists repeatedly convicted of driving while impaired. He believes people who drive while impaired show little regard for the safety of others. Speaking at the Feb. 16 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, Ladouceur said the Criminal Code allows for the seizure of assets related to offences. The EPS has taken advantage of that legislation for convictions related to organized crime and the drug trade, so the EPS looked into whether it would be applicable for impaired driving. “We’ve been singing the same song for 25 years when it comes to impaired driving, and we’re still the No. 1 province (for impaired driving rates),” said
Ladouceur. “So clearly what we’re doing is not working, so we’re taking this unique approach.” The motivation for this latest tactic came when a local male was arrested and charged for impaired driving for the fourth time back in January. Ladouceur noted they would also look at seizing the vehicle of a first-time offender if the circumstance warranted it. “Obviously, if it’s a case of a serious injury accident, or the levels of impairment are severely high,” said Ladouceur. “Each case has to be judged on its own merit.” Seized vehicles would then likely be sold in a Crown auction, similar to what happens with property seized through drug trade arrests. The EPS has already consulted with the Crown attorney’s office to find out if this approach is feasible, and has looked into civil forfeiture laws in the province. There is still some discussion that is needed, but Ladouceur believes the support is there. It might not be
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur long before the EPS adopts this strategy. Ladouceur told the police board that he has spoken with Weyburn police Chief Marlo Pritchard about the idea, and Pritchard supports it. “I don’t think you’re going to see vehicles seized every week, at least I certainly hope not,” said Ladouceur. Each case would need to be studied individually to decide whether vehicle seizure is warranted, he said. Ladouceur cautioned the police board that they would be able to seize a
company vehicle. “I think that the message needs to be that yes, the possibility is there, but keep in mind that it is scrutinized through the courts, and we do this in conjunction with the Crown,” said Ladouceur. He expected company vehicle seizures would be very rare, and that most vehicles seized would be personal vehicles. Ladouceur is confident the threat of vehicle seizure would act as a deterrent against impaired driving. He doesn’t believe shortterm impoundments frighten many repeat offenders. But if someone stands to lose a $30,000 or $40,000 vehicle for good, then he believes they might think twice. And while he recognizes that some people who drive drunk are alcoholics, Ladouceur doesn’t believe that’s an excuse for impaired driving. “Just because someone may have a drinking issue, doesn’t give them the right to get behind the wheel and put everybody at risk,” the police chief said. If Estevan adopts this
measure, it would be the first community in the province to do so, Ladouceur said, but it has been attempted elsewhere. It survived a court challenge in Quebec, and Ladouceur said it has also been tried in Peterborough, Ontario. “This is an application made before the courts,” said Ladouceur. “This isn’t the police saying I’m taking your vehicle, and it’s gone. This is the police saying we’re making an application to take your vehicle. If we’re successful in the courts, then it’s gone.” In the case of impaired driving, the vehicle is the instrument used to cause serious harm or death, so Ladouceur reasoned they should be seizing the vehicles of impaired drivers. “Reality is if someone hasn’t learned the first time, the second time or the third time, at what point do you say enough is enough, and we have to look at some other alternatives here?” said Ladouceur. Ladouceur said there are some who still have
a hard time grasping that it is a serious offence to drive while impaired, and so the EPS wants to have deterrents for impaired drivers, while keeping the conversation going about impaired driving. Estevan has seen a couple of tragedies since Ladouceur arrived in the spring of 2014 that involved drivers who were allegedly impaired. One was an impaired motorist who collided with a taxi cab in October 2015. Then, a few days later, there was a single-vehicle accident that resulted in the death of a local man. Since that time, the EPS has conducted school visits, roadside checks, impaired driving blitzes, public awareness campaigns, and has worked with groups like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and Students Against Drunk Drivers, but Ladouceur said they still apprehend a couple of impaired drivers each week. So now they’re trying something different, and Ladouceur hopes it will finally curtail the number of impaired drivers in the city.
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