Two Oak Bay police members made Alexa’s Team this year, one of them an All Star.
While they represent our community, both earned the kudos working outside of Oak Bay.
Const. Benoit Lanthier came to Oak Bay late last year from Nanaimo RCMP, where he took 21 impaired drivers off the road.
Const. Eric Thompson, seconded to the regional Integrated Road Safety Unit removed 69 impaired drivers throughout the Capital Regional District.
“I am proud to have these members associated with the Oak Bay Police Department regardless of the where this significant work in removing impaired drivers from our roadways took place,” said Oak Bay police chief Andy Brinton.
Police officers are named to Alexa’s Team because in the space of one year they have removed at least 12 drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol from the road. Alexa’s Team was created when four-year-old Alexa Renée Middelaer was hit and killed by an Impaired Driver in 2008. Since then, Alexa’s Team has grown from 26 members to 2,156 new and returning RCMP and municipal police officers from across the province.
The annual celebration saw ICBC and MADD honour 60 members of the 2016 Alexa’s Team from Vancouver Island.
“It’s always so moving,” said Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen after attending the annual event. “The Middelaer’s, it’s amazing what they do. I have two boys I could not imaging what it would be like to its unfathomable. … It’s the kind of thing people need to keep be reminded of because people continue to be killed out there.”
