Police board sounds alarm over impaired drivers
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Recent blood-alcohol readings recorded by drivers stopped by the Norfolk OPP are disheartening, the chair of the county’s police services board says.
“These readings are high – too high,” George Santos said at a Wednesday meeting of the board. “I don’t know what’s happening in Norfolk County.
“But I can tell you this. What I see in front of me is concerning.”
Figures show two drivers recorded blood-alcohol levels of more than 200 (.2 per cent) milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of blood while 10 others had readings of between 160 (.16 per cent) and 199 (.199 per cent). The legal limit for drivers in Ontario is .08 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of blood.
“I’m totally disheartened when I look at the stats for July and August for impaired driving in Norfolk County,” Santos said. “This really hits home.”
Impaired driving affects everyone and its impact can be seen in the downtown where a corner building by the Norfolk County Library was struck by an alleged drunk driver, Santos said.
The police board voted to send a letter to the Ontario Solicitor General, Ontario Attorney General as well as local judges notifying them of the board’s concerns.
Santos also noted an increase in robberies and fatal collisions.
“We’ve had six fatalities in Norfolk County,” Santos said. “We had three last year, so the number is double and when I look at personal injury collisions we go from 81 to 86
“Property damage collisions gone from 451 to 535.”
Santos asked Norfolk County OPP Detachment Commander Jodi Kays if she could explain the increases.
Kays said the number of collisions across Western Region of the OPP are up and it’s likely due to more traffic on the roads.
“COVID probably affected the traffic in the area and now that restrictions are over and we’re seeing more people going to work,” Kays said.
Santos also noted the number of robberies in Norfolk has increased.
“An alarming number that caught my eye and should catch the eye of our board is robberies,” Santos said. “We go from five robberies last year in 2021 to 12 year-to-date in August.
“That’s an increase of 140 per cent.”
Kays said she didn’t have specifics available at the Sept. 28 meeting as to the types of robberies.
She said she would provide further details at the board’s next meeting which will take place in December.
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