Estevan’s new bylaw enforcement officer views the job as another step forward in her law enforcement career.
Special Const. Josie Newton is wrapping up her training and should have her certification soon. She has been a special constable as a dispatcher with the Estevan Police Service (EPS), but since her duties have changed, approval is needed through the Ministry of Justice before she can switch to bylaw enforcement.
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur expects that will happen in the next week.
Newton believes the new job will expand her role and her skills, making it a great job opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to being out and about in the community, and enforcing the bylaws,” said Newton.
As a dispatcher, she spends her day at the police station, taking phone calls from her desk and talking to people who stop by the police station. Now she will be out among the public, dealing with people face-to-face.
She believes her work ethic will help her as she moves into this new role.
Newton has spent some time learning from her predecessor, Michelle Pickering, who stepped down from the role earlier this year so that she could become a constable with the EPS.
While she hasn’t had too much time to learn from Pickering, due to her work as a dispatcher, Pickering has provided some valuable insights.
“She’s very knowledgeable with the bylaws and is good at explaining stuff like that,” said Newton.
Ladouceur said Newton’s time with Pickering has been beneficial.
“She has certainly learned all of the background work that goes along with it over the last couple of months, so she’ll be able to hit the ground running,” said Ladouceur.
Newton believes Pickering did a good job in bylaw enforcement, and Newton looks forward to continuing what Pickering was doing.
There will be some training, Newton said, because going from dispatch to bylaw enforcement will mean some different roles to learn and tasks to perform.
Newton views this as a good stepping stone role, since serving as the bylaw enforcement officer isn’t her end goal.
Ladouceur said it is important to have a bylaw enforcement officer in the community, particularly at this time of year with winter coming and police receiving calls for snow removal from sidewalks, vehicles being left on the street during snow removal efforts and other issues. Other members of the EPS have been handling bylaw enforcement duties whenever possible in the last few months.
