Another group of B.C. police officers were inducted into Alexa’s Team for their commitment to taking, and keeping, impaired drivers off the road.
One Delta and seven Deas Island RCMP officers are among the 313 police officers joining Alexa’s Team this year for delivering on a promise to work to reduce the number of alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths in the province.
Four-year-old Alexa Middelaer was killed in May 2008 after an impaired driver struck her. She had been feeding horses by the side of a Ladner road with her aunt when a northbound car careened off the road striking Alexa, her aunt and the horse.
Two years later, the Middelaer family challenged police officers and the province to reduce the number of deaths caused by alcohol impaired driving by 35 per cent by the end of 2013, the year Alexa would have turned 10.
Just nine months after their daughter’s death, Laurel and Michael Middelaer, in conjunction with the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation, started Alexa’s Team and honoured the first 26 officers. Since then, 1,321 officers from across the province have become members of the team and processed more than 50,000 impaired driving charges and penalties. While earlier this year, the provincial government announced a 52 per cent decrease in alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths, which, according to the province, represents 190 lives saved.
“It is amazing to us that when a team of committed individuals are working collectively towards a goal that change can truly happen,” Laurel Middelaer said. “We are humbled by the results of reduced fatalities, and give credit to our front line officers, who are supported by their leaders and government to truly make our roads safer for all our communities…”
The Delta and Deas Island officers combined to take a total of 436 impaired drivers off local roads in 2013.
Deas Island Traffic Services:
• Const. Kyle Winslow – 31 impaired drivers removed
• Const. Paula Ikavalko – 123 impaired drivers removed
• Const. Guillaume Fauchon – 61 impaired drivers removed
• Cpl. Tariq Qureshi – 99 impaired drivers removed
• Cpl. Mark Booth – 25 impaired drivers removed
• Const. Dmytro Ivanov – 47 impaired drivers removed
• Const. Michelle Larsen – 35 impaired drivers removed
Delta Police:
• Const. Jim Ingram – 15 impaired drivers removed
