Six Abbotsford Police officers were among those honoured Thursday in Surrey for their efforts in reducing the number of impaired drivers on the roads.
Sgt. Kelly Joiner, Const. Patrick Kelly, Const. Steve Fehr, Const. Chris Troughton, Const. Ken Wilson and Const. Marcus Dyck are all members of Alexa’s Team.
The team was formed in memory of Alexa Middelaer, who was killed by an impaired driver in 2008 at the age of four.
The team has grown over the past five years from 26 members to more than 1,000 RCMP and municipal officers across the province.
A total of 95 of those officers were honoured Thursday at Southridge Junior School in Surrey. They were responsible for issuing more than 3,500 impaired-driving-related charges and sanctions in 2012.
The Abbotsford officers were responsible for removing 235 impaired drivers off the roads last year.
“The fight against impaired driving is about saving lives and protecting families and that’s exactly what Alexa’s Team members and police officers are doing in communities right across the province,” said Shirley Bond, B.C.’s minister of justice and attorney general.
Laurel Middelaer, Alexa’s mom, said the family is heartened to see a decrease in the number of people injured and killed by impaired drivers in the last year.
Preliminary data indicates that the number of fatalities related to impaired driving has dropped from 126 in 2010 to 73 to 2011 and 59 last year.
“We know that the members of Alexa’s Team have served unwaveringly to make our communities safer,” Middelaer said.
Three more recognition ceremonies will take place – in Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George – where the officers are honored by the BCAA Road Safety Foundation, ICBC and the Middelaer family.
