Challenge coins will be awarded to RCMP officers in the Battlefords for their efforts in pulling over impaired drivers. (Submitted Photo/Steve Pollack)

By Josh Ryan

RCMP Award

Battlefords RCMP officers recognized for impaired driving prevention

Mar 11, 2021 | 1:55 PM

RCMP officers in the Battlefords are being recognized next week for their work to keep impaired drivers off of roadways.

10 members will receive the Van der Vorst Family Award for their service and performance in their detachments. Sgt. Chris Stephens of the Battlefords will be the representative in a ceremony in front of the detachment on March 15.

Stephen Pollock, President of the Meadow Lake chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), said it’s important to highlight the recognition of the officers through this award. It’s named for the family that was tragically killed by a drunk driver.

“Their surviving family decided to put their name to a yearly award for constables who take the highest number of impaired drivers off the highways,” Pollock said.

For the Battlefords detachment, Sgt. Stephens and Cst.’s Dean Fontaine, Eric White, Stephen Gatz, Marco Johnson and Lee Gaetz will each receive a silver challenge coin for having pulled over between nine and 17 drivers. Cpl. Adam Von Niessen and Cst.’s Maxwell Rogowski and Joshua Trefy will receive a gold challenge coin for pulling over more than 18 drivers. Cst. Trefy pulled over the highest number of impaired motorists at 47. North Battleford’s William Picard will also receive a Gold Coin.

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Pollock said the work that RCMP constables do to make sure drivers aren’t driving impaired has numerous benefits and isn’t recognized by the public for how important it is, noting the circumstances of the Van der Vorst family as a perfect example.

“The monetary cost that impaired driving causes is staggering, but that doesn’t even count in comparison to having to watch as a two year-old girl is taken off life support,” he said.

“What these constables are doing, we can’t put a worth to it. We’re dealing with human lives.”

Pollock added that he hopes news like this will help change perspectives of police operations roadways, saying that often people tend to think of police pulling them over just to hassle them. However, he said they can’t be certain if you’re impaired or not and it’s worth the inconvenience.

“If you’re not impaired, it’s a couple of seconds or minutes out your life,” he said. “If they find an impaired driver, that’s someone’s life they could be saving.”

The ceremony with Sgt. Stephens will take place at the detachment Monday at 11:00 a.m.

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports