Three New Westminster constables were recently lauded for their work getting drunk drivers off city streets.
Constables Ted Ishii, Ryan Newman and Jamie Crowston were among 246 police officers from across B.C. who were named to the 2015 Alexa’s Team at an event at the Justice Institute of B.C. last week. Ishii and Newman both work patrol for the police department, while Crowston is part of the traffic services unit. Together, the three officers got 91 impaired drivers off the roads last year, according to a press release.
“During my time as a police officer in northern B.C., I saw the devastation that alcohol-affected drivers can cause. Driving while affected by alcohol or drugs is dangerous and illegal, yet people still choose to do it. The 246 dedicated officers being recognized … as part of Alexa’s Team do extraordinary work to raise awareness and help make our roads safer,” Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Morris said in the release.
Since 2010, there has been a 52 per cent reduction in alcohol-related driving deaths in B.C. but that’s not enough, according to Morris, the province wants to bring the number of deaths down to zero.
“It’s about saving lives, and we need everyone – most importantly B.C. drivers – to make that happen,” he added.
Alexa’s Team is named in honour of Alexa Middelaer, a young girl who was killed by an impaired driver in 2008. Since its inception eight years ago, officers with Alexa’s Team have handed down more than 71,300 impaired driving sanctions.
