A team of 13 Kamloops RCMP officers were recently recognized by the local chapter of MADD Canada for taking at least 156 impaired drivers off the roads in 2019.
MADD Kamloops Community Leader Roxanne Engli says each of the officers recognized had taken at least 12 impaired drivers off the road.
“Its just a real acknowledging and a thankfulness for the force that’s out there that’s trying to make the roads safer,” she told NL News. “You know, there was one officer that I think he took over 32 people off of the road.”
Each of the 13 officers made it onto Alexa’s Team, a program which recognizes police officers in the province who keep impaired drivers off the roads. It is named after four-year-old Alexa Middelaer, who was killed by an impaired driver as she was standing by the road feeding a horse in May 2008.
The Kamloops officers honoured during a small socially distant ceremony on April 27 were Wayne Chung, Patrick Ellis, David Bigcharles, Mike Scherpenisse, Dan Eccleston, Mark Richardson, Matt James, Paul Koester, Dawn Gillingham, Gordon Sauer, Cody Fisher, Scott Richards, and Mark Blacklock.
“Every year MADD recognizes people that go out of their way to make the roads safer for all of us. We can’t emphasize how much safer the roads are if we can continue to do this. I know its been a challenge with COVID times, but its certainly a privilege to recognize people who are dedicated and committed to doing this,” Engli said.
“In my opinion, I don’t think on a day to day basis there’s anything that we do that’s more endangering to our health. We really have to do whatever we can to avoid being sitting ducks out there.”
In a statement, Cpl. Wayne Chung said it was “an inspiration” to be able to take impaired drivers off the road in the Kamloops area.
“We know that impaired drivers kill and injure the most people on the roadways,” he said. “In memory of Alexa, it’s an inspiration to remove these people from the roadway before their actions tragically impact the lives of others.”
Added Kamloops RCMP Superintendent, Syd Lecky, “Good traffic cops and those who take impaired drivers off the road, save more lives than any other unit. They’re very passionate about what they do. I hope it’s something they never get tired of because it means so much to us.”
To be nominated for Alexa’s Team, police officers have to have removed at least 12 drivers impaired by either drugs or alcohol from the road in the previous calendar year. Engli says the officers are being recognized for their efforts in 2019 later than usual because of delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Its the last full year that we could recognize these officers, because everything was scaled down last year, and this year again,” she added.