RECOMMENDATION
That
the Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report for information.
ISSUE
In
response to the request by the Ottawa Police Services Board, please find
enclosed the statistics for the R.I.D.E. programs established in conjunction
with the grant provided to our Police Service by the Province of Ontario and
R.I.D.E. established at the local District level.
BACKGROUND
Impaired
driving countermeasures continue to be a priority for the Ottawa Police
Service. Many more people are hurt or
killed in drinking and driving related collisions than murders and robberies
combined. R.I.D.E. programs (Reduce
Impaired Driving Everywhere) are spot operational initiatives designed
specifically to address drinking and driving through visible enforcement
activities.
R.I.D.E.
programs are conducted in two distinct ways.
The traditional R.I.D.E. is a provincially-funded initiative, involving
off duty officers, while Patrol Divisions operate ad hoc R.I.D.E. programs at
appropriate times when local staffing resources permit.
Grant-funded
R.I.D.E. programs
Since
1988, the Ministry of the Solicitor General has been providing grants to police
services to conduct R.I.D.E. spot checks.
The overall fund managed by the Ministry is $1.2 M per year. Funding is based on a formula that takes into
account the size of police services making application for grant monies.
The
Ottawa Police Service received $30,121.00 from the province to fund R.I.D.E.
programs from April 1, 2001 through
March 31, 2002. Accurate records are
maintained of grant-funded R.I.D.E. programs because a monthly statistical
report to the Ministry of the Solicitor General is required as part of the
grant accountability mechanism. The
statistics currently available are attached as Appendices ‘A’ and ‘B’ to this
document.
Each
R.I.D.E. program uses a team of one sergeant and seven constables with a
planned duration of six hours. The
programs is considered a ‘paid duty’, utilizing officers normally off duty who
are assigned to work the initiatives.
The provincial funding allows sixteen R.I.D.E.s to be conducted per year
with no impact to regular patrol operations.
Locations
for the R.I.D.E. programs are rotated
throughout the City based on traffic flow and officer safety. As well, some R.I.D.E.s are operated in
relation to special events where the potential for drinking and driving is high
and the need for visible enforcement is essential to send a strong community
message. For example, R.I.D.E.s were
conducted in relation to the Carp, Metcalfe and Richmond Fairs, along the Ferry
Road in the rural west region to intercept drivers returning from the ferry to
Quebec, and at Burritt’s Rapids for inmates driving impaired for weekend
sentences at the Rideau Correctional Facility.
The
primary goal of the R.I.D.E. program is to send strong messages to the
community about drinking and driving.
The secondary function is to identify and apprehend impaired
drivers. Once an impaired driver is
arrested, R.I.D.E. officers must transport the individual to the nearest breath
test facility. As in the case of the
recent Carp Fair R.I.D.E., after a short period of time, three individuals were
arrested for drinking and driving related offences and the initiative was then
discontinued.
Divisional
R.I.D.E. programs
In
addition, R.I.D.E. programs are also operated on a periodic basis at the Patrol
Division operations level. When staff
resources are available, R.I.D.E.s are conducted by patrol officers during the
shift overlap between afternoons and nights.
There are no overtime costs to the Police Service for these local
R.I.D.E. programs.
The
main difference between the local and grant-funded R.I.D.E. programs are the
number of police officers involved and the corresponding duration of the spot
checks.
Mega
R.I.D.E. program
Originating
with the Ontario Provincial Police, the Mega-R.I.D.E. program is a partnership
between local police services, the Ottawa Insurance Brokers Association and the
Ottawa 67's Hockey Club. Leading up to
a designated game date, a number of Mega-R.I.D.E. programs are conducted at
pre-determined locations in the City.
Once drivers have been checked and cleared by police, members of the
Ottawa Insurance Brokers Association and the Ottawa 67's Hockey Club will hand
them a pair of tickets to the designated game.
These
are high profile spot checks, receiving much media attention. It is a significant opportunity for area
police services to send a clear message to the community and to market their
combined efforts to combat drinking and driving. Staffing of the Mega-R.I.D.E. programs are funded through existing police budgets, and are not privately
sponsored.
This
year, the R.I.D.E. Appreciation Night will occur on Friday, December 28th,
2001 at 7:30 p.m.. Four Mega-R.I.D.E.
spot check dates have been organized during the month of December.
General
patrol
Police
officers on routine patrol duties continue to apprehend drivers for drinking
and driving offences, in addition to the more formalized R.I.D.E. programs.
CONCLUSION
The
Ottawa Police Service remains committed to a goal of reducing the incidence of
impaired driving in the City of Ottawa.
The Ottawa Alliance on Impaired Driving is one of the ways the Police
Service can use community mobilization to achieve tangible results. The statistical information included in this
report will be forwarded to the Ottawa Alliance on Impaired Driving for their
information.
Larry
Hill
Deputy
Chief
Operations
Appendix ‘A’
2001 and 2000 Grant Program R.I.D.E. Statistics
2001 Grant Program R.I.D.E. Statistics to Date*
Number of R.I.D.E.s to date: 7
Vehicles checked: 2,248
Roadside screening device tests conducted: 57
12 hour suspensions issued: 15
Impaired driving offences charged: 1
Hours devoted to R.I.D.E. activities: 285
R.I.D.E.s to be scheduled in December 2001: 7
*
Includes one R.I.D.E. established with 2000-2001 Grant Program funds
until September 30, 2001.
2000 Grant Program R.I.D.E. Statistics
Number of R.I.D.E.s to date: 5
Vehicles checked: 3,555
Roadside screening device tests conducted: 86
12 hour suspensions issued: 26
Impaired driving offences charged: 7
Hours devoted to R.I.D.E. activities: 286
Appendix ‘B’
Comparison of 2001 and 2000 District Operations Level
R.I.D.E. Statistics
2001 District Operations R.I.D.E. Statistics
Number of R.I.D.E.s to date: 25
Vehicles checked: : 6,653
Roadside screening device tests conducted: 134
12 hour suspensions issued: 30
Impaired driving offences charged: 7
2000 District Operations R.I.D.E. Statistics*
Number of R.I.D.E.s to date: 3
Vehicles checked: : 582
Roadside screening device tests conducted: 8
12 hour suspensions issued: 3
Impaired driving offences charged: 1
* These totals do not reflect the true number
of R.I.D.E. initiatives undertaken by
Patrol Districts due to incomplete statistical reporting at the
Divisional level.