REGINA - This week, law enforcement officers in the province are being recognized by MADD Canada - Mothers Against Drunk Driving, for the efforts to reduce impaired driving in the province.
Officers were being presented with the Van de Vorst awards at ceremonies in Saskatoon on Monday and Regina on Tuesday.
The awards are named after the Van de Vorst family — Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst and their children, Kamryn and Miguire, who lost their lives due to a collision caused by an impaired driver in 2016 near Saskatoon.
This is the sixth year for the awards. This year, they honoured 170 officers who have removed 3973 impaired drivers off the roads.
The recipients received Silver, Gold, or Platinum Challenge Coin and certificates, based on numbers of impaired driving charges laid in the past year.
Awards were given to police officers from forces throughout the province, including the Saskatoon and Regina police, the RCMP, and other police force members.
The awards not only were to honour the officers for their efforts, but to raise awareness of the dangers still seen today from the impact of impaired driving, whether from alcohol or increasingly from drug use.
Inspector Shawn Fenwick of Regina Police Service said it was important to have events such as this.
“It shows the great collaboration within our community with not only municipal police services and the RCMP but also advocacy groups within our community such as MADD Saskatchewan and MADD Canada to help promote the message that impaired driving is still a problem in our province, and in our city. So when we bring awareness, it gets that message out there. The more awareness we can create the more support we can get from our community. And when somebody has to make that decision about whether they are going to drive once they’ve had that drink or two or uses some sort of drugs, hopefully this message and these awards is enough to make them say ‘you know what I’m a take an Uber,’ ‘I’m gonna get a ride with a friend,’ or ‘I’m just not going to go anywhere.”
Fenwick said there have been advancements and new legislation on mandatory alcohol screening which he believes will help bring down the numbers. But he also noted that they are also battling the new issue of drug-impaired driving, where he said "we have a lot of catching up to do in that area."
He also noted that this ceremony coincided with the first day of the newly-created impaired driver enforcement course at Saskatchewan Police College, designed to provide more training to keep up with the new legislation and techniques in that area.
But Fenwick acknowledged there was still a need to create further awareness.
"We certainly support, we appreciate the support we get from our stakeholders and advocacy groups. But yeah, we have a ways to go and there's still people out there making poor decisions."
