Police say frustrating football game checkstop was requested by U of S security

A controversial impaired driving checkstop set up last Friday – as 10,054 U of S Huskies and U of R Rams fans were leaving the home opener – was requested by U of S campus security.

That’s according to Cam McBride, deputy chief of the Saskatoon Police Service.

The checkstop left many fans stuck waiting in their vehicles for at least an hour as they tried to leave the game, and that’s something McBride said isn’t part of the police service’s standard procedure.

Speaking to CKOM/CJME’s John Gormley on Thursday, McBride said two police officers, along with a mobile testing van, were sent to help with the checkstop.

“The request came from the university security services for us to assist,” he said.

McBride said that after a period of time, it became apparent that the sobriety check wasn’t going as anticipated.

“The nature of the traffic flow, the volume, the location of the stop check was not conducive to a stop check in the manner that the Saskatoon Police Service is accustomed to co-ordinate,” he said.

McBride said the police service will use lessons learned last week to figure out how to better partner with organizations like the U of S in the future.

Wade Epp, the university’s associate vice president for services, had previously said the checkstop was set up and planned by Saskatoon police after a request from the university.

“They do take the lead in those situations, and we’re there in support,” said Epp.

McBride said Epp’s perception of the event may have been different than that of the police.

“That would be a co-ordination issue,” McBride said.

“That would be a communication issue. Those are the types of things that we’re committed to working through in the future to ensure we don’t repeat a circumstance where we’re causing such significant frustration to the public.”

He admitted that the plan was not carefully planned or co-ordinated.

Asked whether anyone should apologize to fans for the lengthy delays, McBride said he understood the frustration expressed by some fans.

“We would not knowingly place members of the public in that circumstance had we known, or had we had the ability to back up the bus and do things differently,” the deputy chief said.

“I acknowledge the frustration. I acknowledge the circumstance that was created, and our participation in it.”

In the future, he said if Saskatoon police are co-ordinating an impaired driving checkstop, there will be a solid plan in place to avoid causing the same issues.