An RCMP officer responsible for taking nearly 80 impaired drivers off Kelowna streets has received a provincial award for his work.
Const. Brad Smith has spent his entire 13-year career in traffic services.
Each year, the BC Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP) gives out Traffic Safety Awards for noteworthy performance and Smith is often a recipient.
In 2021, he removed 78 impaired drivers from city streets, well above the provincial average.
Smith is also one of only three Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) posted in Kelowna. The team performed 52 evaluations in 2021, with Smith being responsible for 40 of them, or approximately 77 per cent. The provincial average is seven.
He has been named an Alexa’s Team All-Star for the sixth time in his career and is on track to be nominated as the Alexa’s Team Top Cop again for 2021.
Alexa’s Team is named in honour of four-year-old Alexa Middelaer who was killed by an impaired driver in Delta in 2008.
Smith also won the Excellence in Outstanding Traffic Law Enforcement Award from the BCACP in 2021.
The award is given to a member who distinguishes themselves by their personal actions that exemplify the core values of the RCMP.
“Const. Smith is a self-motivated member who takes his role as a traffic member seriously,” said Sgt. Mark Booth, municipal traffic services. “He has embraced his role as a traffic member and without question, he exemplifies the core values of leadership, innovative thinking, and a dedication to the organization and the community that he serves.”
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@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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