RCMP officers named to Alexa’s Team
Call North District RCMP Cst. Kevan Cranmer a drunk driver’s worst enemy.
Over the course of 2017, he pulled 82 people off area highways for failing or refusing a roadside breathalyzer or drug recognition evaluation – enough for him to be named northern B.C.’s top cop Wednesday during an awards ceremony held in memory of a girl who was just four years old when she was killed by such a driver.
Cranmer, who is based in Prince George, described his job as “protecting people from themselves” and “protecting other people from their poor decisions.”
He said the number of drivers who’ve had to be taken off the road because they were impaired has gone down over the 10 year’s he’s been an RCMP member, thanks in particular to the Immediate Roadside Prohibition program.
“Before, we were getting guys who were at a very high level of impairment, where we’ve got people who can’t even walk, but now we’re seeing fewer of those, we’re seeing not as far over the limit,” Cranmer said.
But as the numbers show, drivers too drunk or stoned to be driving are still out there.
In all, 32 RCMP officers from across northern B.C. were named to Alexa’s Team. Combined, they found enough impaired drivers during 2017 to launch 648 investigations under the Criminal Code.
Alexa’s Team is named after Alexa Middelaar, who, in May 2008, was killed by an impaired driver who plowed into her and her aunt while they were feeding a horse by the side of a Ladner road.
Prince George RCMP Cst. Keith McCreadie was named an Alexa’s Team all-star, which requires nabbing more than 25 impaired drivers. His tally was 36.
Moreover, he achieved that total in the midst of pursuing other calls as a general duty member.
“You go out and you take your files every day but when you get a break in the action you go find your spots and unfortunately, they’re not hard to find,” McCreadie said.
“It’s mostly spare time.”
Patrols are stepped up during the big summer events like Billy Barker Days and the Williams Lake Stampede but Cranmer said hot weather is the common denominator for the busiest days.
“I don’t know what it is, if it’s just people sitting out on the front porch drinking beer and then they run out of beer and they’ve got to go to the liquor store,” Cranmer said.
That there are still people in this day and age who insist on getting behind the wheel even though they’re too impaired to drive made the accolade a bit of a dubious honour.
“Unfortunately, they are still out there,” McCreadie said.
“It is a bit of a double-edged sword today where you come to be recognized for your efforts and get impaireds off the road but the fact that we’re still here getting recognized is a bit of a shame.”
Eight other RCMP members working in the Prince George area were named to the team: Cst. Serge Bruneau (North District, 16 arrests), Cst. Brian Davis (North District, 17 arrests), Cst. Bryan Dunnett (Prince George, 12 arrests), Cst. David Hallmark (Prince George, 16 arrests), Sgt. Matthew LaBelle (Prince George, 10 arrests), Cst. Gregory Olson (North District, 14 arrests), Cst. Aaron Semeniuk (North District, 13 arrests) and Cst. Christopher Spyker (Prince George, 13 arrests).