On March 6, 2026, officers in Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Manitoba, used new roadside camera technology to identify and stop an impaired driver. The stop occurred at approximately 1:00 AM in the 400 block of Kiche Maskanow after the equipment alerted patrolling officers to an unregistered vehicle.
After pulling the car over, the driver failed a roadside breath test. According to the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, the woman received an immediate three-month licence suspension and her vehicle was impounded. Other people in the car also received tickets for various offences during the late-night stop.
The new AXON Fleet 3 camera systems use artificial intelligence to scan licence plates automatically while officers are on patrol. This technology was installed in all marked police vehicles late in 2025 and was officially activated for testing in the community on March 1, 2026. These cameras can detect plates across multiple lanes of traffic and provide real-time alerts to officers for vehicles of interest.
Chief of Police Jason Colon stated that the investment in these camera systems is part of a commitment to keeping First Nations communities safe. This incident marks the first recorded time the new equipment was used to catch an impaired driver in the area. The local detachment has been managed by the First Nations police since transitioning from the RCMP in April 2021.
The Manitoba First Nations Police Service is the longest-operating First Nation police service in the country and currently serves 12 communities. This latest technology update follows new provincial rules that took effect on January 15, 2026, which increased penalties for impaired driving across Manitoba.
