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Eight Saanich police members recognized for getting impaired drivers off local roads

Alexa’s Team awards B.C. police for stopping at least 12 impaired drivers per year
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Deputy Chief Dean Duthie (left), Const. Jennifer Kennedy, Const. Colby MacIntyre, Const. Adam Defrane, Sgt. Jereme Leslie, Const. Nick Marmaras, Const. Markus Anastasiades, Deputy Chief Gary Schenk are among the B.C. officers on Alexa’s Team for 2019. (Photo courtesy of the Saanich Police Department)

Eight members of the Saanich Police Department are among the Alexa’s Team award recipients recognized for taking impaired drivers off the road.

Alexa’s Team is a program created in honour of Alexa Middelaer, a four-year-old killed in 2008 by an impaired driver in Delta. After Alexa’s death, her parents partnered with the RCMP, ICBC and Mothers Against Drunk Driving to create the program.

Alexa’s Team recognizes officers in B.C. who stop a minimum of 12 impaired drivers in a year making for safer roads.

In 2009, 26 officers in the Lower Mainland were recognized. The team now includes 2,972 members from police departments across B.C. and 293 officers received awards for 2019 – including eight members of the Saanich department: Sgt. Jereme Leslie, Const. Markus Anastasiades, Const. Adam Defrane, Const. Doug Franklin, Const. Jen Kennedy, Const. Colby MacIntyre, Const. Nick Marmaras and Const. Dave Smit.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate each officer and thank them for their exceptional commitment and dedication to improving road safety through impaired driving enforcement,” said Saanich Deputy Chief Const. Gary Schenk, in a written statement.

Two of the Saanich officers recognized each removed more than 25 impaired drivers from local roads last year.


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