Alexa’s Team Grows
Thursday, May 2, 2013 @ 3:59 PM
Grade 4 students Jarred Ebert and Matteo Rodrigues pose with Constable Brian Davis after presenting him with Alexa All Star Team gifts – photo 250News
Prince George, B.C.- For the second straight year, Prince George RCMP Traffic Constable Brian Davis has been named to the “Alexa’s All Star Team”. This is a special grouping of the top 25 law enforcement officers in B.C. who have taken the highest numbers of impaired drivers off the roads in B.C.
The, “Alexa’s Team” program was developed in the wake of the death of 41/2 year old Alexa Middelaer. She was struck and killed by an impaired driver. Since her death, the men and women who police our province have been challenged to remove impaired drivers from our roadways. In order to be named to “Alexa’s Team” you must have achieved a minimum of 20 such removals, either through an immediate roadside probation, or through Criminal Code charges.
Laurel Middelaer, Alexa’s mother, said that when the program was first launched in 2008 she and her husband hoped, that by 2013 (when Alexa would have turned 10) the program could achieve a 35% drop in fatalities caused by impaired drivers. That goal has been surpassed, as the most recent numbers indicate there has been a 46% reduction in such deaths.
There were 41 RCMP members who were recognized today for their achievements, as each and every one of them is responsible for removing at least 20 impaired drivers from the roadways. Among those recipients, eleven who serve with the Dawson Creek detachment. That is a significant achievement as it represents about half the entire RCMP staff in that community.
In Prince George, 5 North District Constables, 3 Prince George Traffic Services Constables and 1 P.G. General Duty Constable, were among those honoured at a ceremony at Immaculate Conception School today. They are credited with removing 326 impaired drivers from the roads in this region.
One P.G. City Traffic Services Constable, Brian Davis, is credited with removing 90 impaired drivers. That is why he was named to Alexa’s All Star Team. This is not his first time on that special roster last year he was named an all star for removing more than a hundred impaired drivers from the roads. When asked why his numbers were down in 2012, Cst. Davis, said he did take 8 days off work because of an injury, or maybe it was because more people are finally getting the message about not drinking and driving.
Comments
Congratulations to all of these officers. So heartbreaking to lose a child in any circumstance….I hope it eases her parent’s heartbreak just a little to know all these impaired drivers were taken off the road in her name.
Where’s all the police haters now? 1 comment?
zero tolerance =immediate roadside suspension while not being convicted of any crime. I know of a family member who had one beer with his meal at a restaurant . After the meal and some chatting he left and drove home.
He went through a road check and when asked if he’d been drinking replied he had one beer with his meal about 30 minutes ago.
He was asked to blow into the screening device, it never registered. He was asked to blow again this time a low battery light came on but again never registered. Three more times he was asked to blow with the low battery light coming on and finally on the last attempt the device showed a fail. A fail not for impaired but for a blood alcohol under the legal limit. He asked to be taken downtown for a breathalyzer but was denied.
He has now lost his license for 3 months, vehicle impounded, and upwards of 6 thousand dollars in penalties ie interlock install/uninstall and program fees.
His job is affected as he drives at work and all this without ever breaking the law or criminal code.
So to anyone that thinks that it’s ok to have even one beer or glass of wine with dinner better rethink. I am against drinking and driving but I also believe people should be criminally charged and have the right to defend themselves in a court before having their lives destroyed.
When a lawyer was contacted they said they have no chance of winning a dismissal because there are no criminal charges involved just punitive damages, so you can’t even defend yourself
The officer involved actually told him if you would of said no to the drinking question I would of never known because you showed no signs, so being honest was apparently not the right call that night.
If .005 is the limit they want then make it the law in the criminal code.
326 people who had to learn the hard way. And a few thousand that didn’t get caught.
Perhaps this woke up a few, as word of mouth flies.
Who knows how many people these traffic stops saved from dying at the hands of a stupid drunk.
Know a fellow who drives from work to the pub, consumes 5 or 6, then drives two whole blocks to his apartment. But, he got caught one day. Learned the hard way.
I appreciate these officers, it’s a tough job, 99% do it fairly but you rarely hear of the success stories in policing, major media says it don’t sell.
And I really appreciate Opinion 250 for putting this out there.
Zigzag,
We’re you there the night this happened to “your friend” because your story reeks of total fantasy. 1 drink would not register a fail. Your friend is full of it.
And your friend would have had the option of being tested by another screening device as per the law. Before any prohibition or fines happened. Heck I think he could have bring brought back to the police station to be tested on the machine they have there too if he wanted.
Driving is a privilege not a right. The province can set up testing, fines etc how they want. I feel safer knowing this program is in place
Sst, I was gonna suggest there’s two sides to every story, and you are correct. No policeman that I know would use a machine that was obviously faulty and another RSD would have been used.
Not willing to take your amazing insight or knowledge on this subject at face value I googled blood alcohol levels. One drink can give smaller weight men a reading of up to .04 and higher in women. When factored in with the +/- error factored into the machines you could very easily read .05.
So your opinions your opinion, just not backed up by facts. As for going downtown to provide a sample he was denied when requested irregardless of whether you think you know better.
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