Police officers from around northern BC were name to Alexa’s Team 2015 in a ceremony in Prince George today.
Alexa Middelaer was just 4 years old when she was killed by an impaired driver. Alexa’ s Team is a program recognizing BC officers who make an extraordinary contribution to getting impaired drivers off the roads.
Alexa’s mother, Laurel Middelaer, says the program is making a difference.
“These people are dedicated to really making a difference and, equipped with the [Immediate Roadside Prohibitions], they now have a tool where they can really apply a consequence immediately roadside and that’s really making a huge difference, as evidenced by the sustained 52% reduction in impaired related fatalities. It’s an unheard of change.”
Since it first began, the team has grown from 26 members to 1,885 new and returning RCMP and municipal officers from communities across BC. This year, 246 BC officers joined the ranks of Alexa’s Team.
“We never fathomed that it would grow to this size,” says Middelaer. “For me, we’re just a normal family. It’s about a connection to a family that has gone through the worst and actually come out the other side, knowing that they’re making a difference to prevent this from happening to other families.”
29 officers from the northeast district of the province joined Alexa’s Team 2015. Together, they took 617 impaired drivers off the roads. Vanderhoof RCMP Constable Justine Ramsey contributed 13 of those removals.
This year’s top cop was Prince George Municipal Traffic Constable Brian Davis with 50 arrests. He’s held the top cop title for 5 years.
“This has been the fifth year in a row for me with those kind of numbers. So it’s kind of sad statement, in some ways, with all of the coverage of how unacceptable impaired driving is, to still be getting those kinds of numbers.”
Davis says he does it in the hopes that, one day, situations like the Middelaer’s stop happening.
“That’s heartbreaking on any level. So if you can do something to mitigate that, for sure.”
Middelaer says officers like Cst. Davis give her hope.
“It’s a real bright light for us because these are people who are going above and beyond. And it’s hard to do what they do and they see the underbelly of society and a lot of times it’s not pleasant but they keep doing because they know it’s making a difference. I find people like that to be my heroes.”