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Safety is Alexa Middelaer’s legacy
It has been seven years since four-year-old Alexa Middelaer was killed by an alcohol-impaired driver. In that time the police, her family and their supporters have worked tirelessly to make British Columbia’s roads safer for everyone – and they are.
Since new measures to combat drinking and driving in B.C. were enacted in 2010, the Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) has been successful in helping reduce the alcohol-related death toll on B.C.’s roads by 52%, saving an estimated 238 lives.
In that time, Alexa’s Team members have processed more than 66,000 sanctions for alcohol and drug related driving offences. Alexa’s Team is a program that recognizes RCMP and Municipal police officers that make an extraordinary contribution in reducing the number of alcohol and drug affected drivers on the roads of our communities.
The success of the IRP program was followed up by the province’s rollout of Alexa’s Bus, a mobile road safety unit (MRSU), launched last October at an event hosted by the Justice Institute of BC. Used as a tool in the fight against drinking and driving, Alexa’s Bus has been deployed 30 times to communities around the province educating the public about the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as helping police remove drivers affected by alcohol and drugs from the road.
Alexa’s Team is pleased to welcome MADD Canada as an official supporter. MADD Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to stopping impaired driving and supporting victims of this violent crime. MADD Canada and its 17 B.C. Chapters and Community Leaders work closely with police to reduce impaired driving through the Alexa’s Bus initiative, the RID 911 program, which encourages the public to call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers, and other public awareness and education campaigns.
“MADD Canada is honoured to join Alexa’s Team and this ongoing effort to recognize police officers for their crucial work and unwavering commitment to make British Columbia’s roads safer,” said MADD Canada President Angeliki Souranis.
“As a family, we have been pleased to recognize our police officers, these unsung heroes who have made a difference each and every day. It has been an honour to be immersed in the Alexa’s Team events, and collaborate and plan with the many partners for public safety in our province,” said Laurel Middelaer, Alexa’s Mother and Road Safety Advocate. “(This) 2015 marks the seventh year since Alexa passed, and we thought it time to step to the sidelines, focussing on our family and its healing, thus affording opportunity for others to grab the proverbial torch.
“Recognition of the police by the community it serves is important, and there are other families that may want to enter this arena of formally thanking these wonderful people. The Middelaer family will always support policing, and we look forward to maintaining the 50% reduction in impaired related fatalities in our province through education, enforcement and recognition. Let’s keep this up, and sincere thanks to Alexa’s Team 2014,” she said.
“The memory of Alexa has been the driving force behind the continued efforts in this province to keep drinking drivers off our roads, including the creation of the Immediate Roadside Prohibition program in 2010. It is because of this young girl that hundreds of police officers were inspired to work to become members of Alexa’s Team and, over the last seven years, focus on trying to prevent even just one more additional life from being taken too early,” said Suzanne Anton, Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
“I want to acknowledge and thank all those officers, from across the province, who have become part of Alexa’s Team. Their contribution to the fight against impaired driving is to be commended. The sad part of acknowledging them for their great work is the fact that there are still those who choose to drive while impaired. The death of Alexa sparked a province to action, unfortunately her death is also a sobering reminder of the consequences of impaired driving,” added Supt. Denis Boucher of the RCMP’s OIC E-Division Traffic.
“We want to thank all the Alexa’s Team police officers for their extraordinary commitment to getting impaired drivers off our roads. Everyone can do their part to help keep roads safe – plan ahead if your activities involve alcohol and arrange for a designated driver, call a taxi or take transit,” said Lindsay Matthews, ICBC’s Director Responsible for Road Safety.
2014 Alexa’s Team members for the Kootenay Region
Golden – Cst. Trevor Skappak, Golden Trans Canada East T.S. – Total impaired drivers removed = 25.
Kimberley – Cst. Gord Skulnec, Kimberly RCMP – Total impaired drivers removed = 24.
2014 Alexa’s Team – Nelson
Cst. Dan Markevich NELSON IRSU
Cst. Jason Tait NELSON IRSU
Cst. William Aandreashuk NELSON IRSU
Total impaired drivers removed = 115.
2014 Alexa’s Team – Cranbrook
Cpl. Rod Hrehirchuk, Cranbrook RCMP
Cst. Jeffrey Nielsen Cranbrook RCMP
Cst. Robert Roy, East Kootenay Traffic Services – All-Star
Cst. Jamie Weber, East Kootenay TS
Total impaired drivers removed = 168.
All-Star team members are the top impaired driving investigators in the province. Each has taken at least 34 criminally impaired drivers off the road in 2014.
Since 2008, Alexa’s Team members have processed more than 66,000 impaired driving sanctions for alcohol and drug related driving offences.
The total number of Alexa’s Team members has grown from 26 to 1,617, and includes officers from all regions of the province.
Above photo: 2014 Alexa’s Team members from the southeast district honoured on May 27 in Kelowna for working to reduce alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths in B.C.
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