Community Safety Officers make significant impact during impaired driving blitz

City of North Battleford Community Safety Officers (CSOs) are effecting important changes on the streets with recent efforts aimed at curbing impaired driving incidents.         

The latest blitz on Friday evening followed closely on the heels of National Impaired Driving Prevention Week, March 19-25. CSOs conducted joint patrols with Battlefords Citizens on Patrol (COPP) volunteers on March 31.    

Equipped with Approved Screening Devices (ASDs), North Battleford CSOs conducted nine tests for drivers within city limits on Friday evening. Of the nine tests conducted, two drivers were found to have blood alcohol content readings that would not yield a “pass”.   

One driver has been charged with impaired driving under the Criminal Code for having a blood alcohol content of .08 mg or higher.          

A second driver received a 60-day driver license suspension with a blood alcohol content reading of between .04-.08 mg. This is considered a “warning” level and for a first offense, and it carries an immediate roadside license suspension for both experienced drivers (3-day suspension) and new drivers (60-day suspension).                     

“Impaired driving is a significant issue everywhere, but particularly in Saskatchewan,” commented City of North Battleford’s Director of Protective Services, Lindsay Holm.     

“To have CSOs patrolling for such a short time and be able to detect that many drivers operating vehicles while impaired is alarming. I commend the officers for their efforts and thank Citizens on Patrol for their assistance as well.”          

Community Safety Officers provide a variety of vital safety services to residents of the City of North Battleford, including bylaw enforcement and assistance to the Battlefords RCMP detachment. Impaired driving detection is one of several key areas of focus for the municipal force in 2023.  

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For more information:
Candace Toma, Public & Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator
306-441-0713 | publicrelations@cityofnb.ca