Four Wellington County OPP officers were recognized for their dedication to the local detachment’s festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) program.
Inspector Scott Lawson, detachment commander, noted Wellington County earned the distinction of apprehending the most impaired drivers during the province-wide campaign, which ran from Nov. 24 to Jan. 2.
“Unfortunately, or fortunately, we led the province in the number of impaired drivers this year from all the OPP jurisdictions across the province,” said Lawson.
“So not a good number, but at the same time it also suggests that it’s because we commit to detecting, apprehending and prosecuting impaired drivers in Wellington County.”
Lawson said four officers – constables Laura Gromeder, Benjamin Cruickshank, Richard DeVilliers and David Green – worked the RIDE program through “some of the coldest temperatures this year.
“Seven weeks, pretty much straight night shifts. They volunteered to do that on behalf of all of us, and for all of our safety,” said Lawson.
He pointed out the team stopped 5,000 vehicles, conducted 141 roadside breath tests, detected 14 impaired drivers, laid ten over-80 charges and two charges for refusal to provide a breath sample. They also issued 23 three-day licence suspensions, three seven-day suspensions, six drug charges, seven liquor-related charges and 16 citations under the Highway Traffic Act.
“So pretty significant in seven weeks, by four officers, in the dead of winter,” Lawson pointed out.
