Getting a thumbs up from someone you have charged with an offence is probably not something that law enforcement personnel expect to see very often on the job.

However, the Estevan Police Service recently received just that from a grateful member of the community, who had been charged with impaired driving.

"We got a very positive letter from that individual, admitting to making a grave mistake and realizing that they had nobody to blame for the outcome but themselves," shared Police Chief Paul Ladouceur.

"They spoke of how important it was that they were apprehended, as it's been life changing for them. They realized that the consequences that could have resulted from their actions could have left their children without a parent."

He added that it speaks volumes about the fact that people at starting to get the idea: don't drink and drive. 

"Police officers obviously not too often get positive feedback from the community, especially when we're dealing with people with negative results. It certainly means a lot to the officers, they're seeing that they're making an impact and a difference in the community."

"We can never quantify or fully state how many lives or how many injuries may have been prevented by reducing impaired driving, but one can just imagine. We see the catastrophes that occur time and time again, so the more people we can convince of the dangers of impaired driving the better off we all are," he expressed.