ONE of North Vancouver's finest was responsible for getting more drunk drivers off the road in 2012 than any other cop in B.C.
Const. Jas Dosanjh has been given the annual "Top Cop" award by the B.C.A.A. Road Safety Foundation, ICBC and the family of Alexa Middelaer, the young Delta girl killed by a drunk driver in 2008.
Every year, the Middelaer family recognizes "Alexa's Team" - officers who make more than 12 arrests or roadside licence suspensions for impaired driving in a single year. Dosanjh took the keys away from 92 impaired drivers in 2012, more than 10 per cent of all the impaired charges levied by the North Vancouver RMCP.
"He's dedicated. He's passionate about his job and his work is very effective in taking these numbers off the road," said Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman. "He'll tell you that one can represent the saving of someone's life."
North Vancouver had a total of 849 impaired driving charges in 2012, up about 10 per cent from 2011. But that doesn't necessarily mean more people are driving when they should be taking a cab, De Jong said. With a restructuring of North Vancouver RCMP's traffic section, it's possible more drivers are getting caught.
"We have two separate teams now. They're more strategic. They're intentional. They're targeting the impaireds, the distracted drivers," De Jong said.
Perhaps a more telling set of stats is that the number of fatalities from impaired driving fell substantially from 126 in 2010 to 73 in 2011, and early data for 2012 shows a historic low of 59, according to BCAA.
"We are, as a society, getting the message that it is morally, ethically, legally wrong to drink and drive. We don't have 100 per cent compliance," De Jong added.
Joining Dosanjh on Alexa's team are Consts. Brett Hakonson,. Dennis Susko, Troy Bevan, Paula Penny, Mark Belliveau, Mike Arbulic and Rob Pearson from the RCMP. West Vancouver Police Department has two members on the list: Consts. David Noon and Brock Harrington.
Scan this page with the Layar App to see North Shore officers receiving their honours.
