Police release final numbers for annual festive RIDE

Police laid more impaired-driving charges in the city during this year’s holiday season compared to last year, but police say they don’t believe that means more people are drinking and driving.

Officers with the Thunder Bay Police Service charged 10 people with impaired driving, which is double the amount of charges laid  during last year’s festive RIDE program. Meanwhile, the officers with the Thunder Bay detachment of the OPP charged five during the annual RIDE program.

The program is a co-ordinated effort between Thunder Bay police, OPP, CN Police and NAPS.

Thunder Bay Police Service traffic Sgt. Glenn Porter said it has been a goal for different police services to co-ordinate and combat the common problem of drinking and driving.

"It was more of a co-operative effort than ever before," Porter said. "I wouldn’t want to make the leap of assuming that more people are drinking and driving, I think it’s just a better use of resources and a better way of apprehending the ones that we did find."

More than 22,000 cars were stopped from the end of November to New Year’s Day. City police also charged one person with an impaired drug charge and handed out six, three-day suspensions.

OPP traffic Sgt. David Bell said OPP handed out five, three-day suspensions.
"Hopefully the response will be that more drivers will decide to make the right decision before heading out on the road after having a couple of drinks," Bell said.

Because of new legislation requiring police to impound cars in drunk driving offenses regardless of who owns the vehicle, city police received several complaints from owners wanting to get their cars back.