In the blink of an eye, any impaired driver can ruin lives forever. Horrific and heartbreaking headlines of impaired driving aftermath never seem to end, and it affects us all. Worst of all, it is completely preventable. Crime Stoppers can help.
With the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, the potential for drug impairment on our roads, trails, and waterways may increase – driving high is no different from driving drunk or driving under the influence of other drugs. Impaired is impaired.
According to Halton Police, there have been 500 impaired driving arrests in Halton Region so far this year. That number will, unfortunately, only increase as we head into the busy holiday season.
If you suspect an impaired driver on the road, please call 9-1-1 to report it directly and immediately to police.
So how can Crime Stoppers help? If you know of, or suspect, an habitual impaired driver (whether alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs) and wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers. So far this year, impaired driving tips to Halton Crime Stoppers have resulted in license suspensions, criminal charges, vehicle impoundments, and several other Highway Traffic Act offences. Those tips directly helped improve the safety of our roads and communities, and they may have prevented the next horrific and heartbreaking headline.
David Wood, director of Halton Crime Stoppers, said this is just one opportunity for the community and Crime Stoppers to drive community safety in Halton.
“Our mission is to reduce crime in Halton Region through community education and engagement in partnership with the public, the police, and the media and by providing citizens the ability to provide information with guaranteed anonymity to deter and solve crime, with rewards offered for tips that lead to an arrest,” Wood said.
“We appreciate the impaired driving tips we receive from the public and are proud that these tips can and do directly translate into effective action by Halton Police to get impaired drivers off our roads”.
Wood said Crime Stoppers is a citizen-run charitable organization that has helped police maintain Halton as one of the safest regions in Canada. "Our board routinely authorizes reward payments for anonymous tips that solve or deter crime," Wood added. "We want the public to know that Crime Stoppers operates 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, so people in the community can anonymously provide information that police may need to solve and deter crime. Callers are never asked to identify themselves and never have to testify in court because their anonymity is guaranteed."
Wood said Crime Stoppers is only successful because people make the effort to call the tip line to provide information that can help solve crime and keep our keep our communities safe.
Tips can be submitted Halton Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
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