ESTEVAN - Four local police officers are recipients of Van de Vorst Family Medals from Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada this year for their efforts to take impaired drivers off the road.
Connie Hagel, who is the co-ordinator for the MADD chapter in Estevan, has been handing out the medals over the past few weeks to the officers whose efforts result in the most impaired driving convictions in the Estevan area.
Impairment can be by drugs or alcohol.
The local recipients are Const. Landon Polk and Paul Chabot with the Estevan Police Service, and Const. Adrian Boal and Staff Sgt. Douglas MacDougall. Chabot received a gold award for 28 impaired driving convictions, while Boal (13), MacDougall (11) and Polk (10) received silver.
“Someone in their precinct – it’s usually the chief or the deputy chief that … nominates them –they go by how many convicted people that they have for impaired driving,” said Hagel.
While these awards are great recognitions for the officers, Hagel said it’s also important to remind the public that impaired drivers are getting caught.
“It’s a reminder that there are still people that are driving impaired, and there are still people out there who shouldn’t be out there who are driving impaired, and this is a really good program to award the officers who are doing their job and getting people off the road. More so, it reminds people that if you’re going to drive impaired, you’re going to get caught.”
Polk is the first officer in Estevan to receive a gold award. Hagel has delivered a couple in Weyburn. Twenty-eight is a lot of impaired drivers, she said.
“We’re finding across Canada that it’s usually both together. If it’s drugs, it’s usually alcohol with it, and if it’s alcohol, it’s usually drugs with it,” she said.
Four members of the Van de Vorst were killed in a collision in Saskatchewan in 2016. The driver of the offending vehicle was impaired.
Hagel said the local MADD chapter has some more check stops planned for this summer. The MADD smashed car was at the Estevan Comprehensive School earlier this year to raise awareness. The car is used to show the effects of what can happen if somebody drives impaired. But she doesn’t expect to see the crashed car appearing elsewhere in the community this summer.
