Shelburne Police Service offering back-to-school safety tips

With the Labour Day weekend now behind us, this means that children have returned to school. 

The Shelburne Police Service is urging motorists and pedestrians to pay an extra amount of attention in and around school zones while everyone adjusts to school being in session again.

Shelburne Police officers will be out in full force with increased enforcements of school zones, pedestrian crosswalks and school bus stops for the next few weeks. 

Officers will be watching for drivers who disobey the flashing lights of school buses.  The charge of Failing to Stop for a School Bus carries a penalty of six demerit points and a fine of $2,000 for a first offence and up to $4,000, or six months in jail for a second offence. Officers will also be on the lookout for drivers who do not yield for school crossing guards.  Only when pedestrians and school crossing guards have fully crossed the road and are safely on the sidewalk, can drivers proceed.

The Shelburne Police Service also asks that parents dropping their children off at school comply with drop off and pick up zone plans, as well as, no parking signs.  This will make sure that the drop off and pick up of children goes smoothly and is safe for all children and school staff.   Also, parents are asked to reinforce safety rules with children.  Staying on the sidewalk where it is possible, looking both ways before crossing the road, obeying school bus drivers and school bus patrols and obeying the crossing guard's directions are good safety rules to remind your children about.

“The Shelburne Police Service wants this to be an amazing start to the school year for the children of our community.  In order for it to be the best that it can be, we need drivers and pedestrians to do their part to ensure road safety and the safety of our children”, stated Shelburne Police Service Media Relations Officer PC Jennifer Roach.

Shelburne man charged with breaching court orders & public intoxication

On August 27, at approximately 8:30 p.m. members of the Shelburne Police Service were dispatched to an address on William Street in the Town of Shelburne for the report of a disturbance.  

Officers conducted an investigation into the complaint and found an intoxicated man, who does not live at the address, exiting the residence. The male continued to create a disturbance in a parking lot and was consequently arrested for being intoxicated in a public place. Further investigation by the officers revealed that the man was also breaching two separate court orders. As a result, 44-year-old Jason Flear of Shelburne was charged with the following:

- 1 count Intoxicated in public place

- 1 count Breach of recognizance

- 1 count Fail to comply with undertaking

Flear is scheduled to attend Ontario Court in Orangeville in mid September to answer to the allegations made against him.  

Anyone with any information about this or any other matter are urged to report it to the Shelburne Police Service at (519) 925-3312.  You can report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1 800-222-TIPS or http://www.crimestopperssdm.com.

Alliston man charged 

with impaired driving

On August 26 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Shelburne police officers were conducting a RIDE spot check. At that time a male driver entered the RIDE spot check and caused the officer to suspect that the driver had consumed alcohol.  The officer conducted a roadside test for alcohol, which the man failed.  The man was placed under arrest and transported to the police station for further testing, which he also failed.

Consequently, 33-year-old Maksim Kopeikine of Alliston was charged with the following:

• Operation while impaired- alcohol 

• Operation while impaired- blood alcohol concentration 80 and over

• Possess more than one driver's licence under the Highway Traffic Act

Kopeikine will appear in Ontario Court in Orangeville in early September to answer to the allegations made against him.

118 traffic charges laid over 

Labour Day weekend in Shelburne

The Labour Day long weekend kept Shelburne Police officers busy with traffic related offences.

In total, 118 traffic related charges were laid; including some very concerning incidents such as suspended drivers, unlicenced drivers, infants not buckled into child seats, insecure loads, cellphone use, and having open liquor available to drivers.

The 118 charges over the weekend are broken down as follows:

• 66 Speeding offences

• 4 Red Light /Stop Sign offences

• 5 Seatbelt and Child Seat offences

• 5 Liquor Licence Act offences

• 28 Document offences (fail to have proper or current documents in vehicle including but not limited to insurance papers, permits, driver's licences

• 1 Distracted Driving offence

• 1 Insecure load offence

• 5 Equipment offences (includes issues with lights, trailers, obstructed plates, among others)

• 3 unlicenced drivers – one of which was a suspended licence

“The roadways in Shelburne are extremely busy on long weekends, especially with three major highways intersecting in town that lead to cottage country, beaches, and other summer attractions. We take traffic safety seriously by focusing our efforts on traffic enforcement on long weekends. We are thankful that this long weekend we did not have any stunt driving offences, impaired drivers, or motor vehicle collisions.  Remember, roadway safety is everyone's responsibility; drive sober, without distraction and with patience”, reminds Sgt Neumann.