BY LAURA ERNE
The Halton Police RIDE program is conducted every December in partnership with community agencies such as MADD Canada. Police set up stops on major roads to check for drivers under the influence. They issue roadside tests as well as suspensions if needed. Overall impaired driving arrests in the Halton Region have decreased for 2016 with 404 compared to 2015’s 425.
Officers also attend high schools to deliver its annual RIDE 101 education that teaches students about the influence drugs and alcohol can have on a driver’s perception. To get their message across, officers allow students to put on goggles that let them experience the impaired world.
This program follows the Community First policing philosophy that focuses on incorporating the four pillars of safety and well-being: Emergency Response, Risk Intervention, Prevention and Social Development. Police remind residents that impaired driving is a crime in progress and if seen, to report it by calling 911.