Charlottetown police are taking their message about impaired driving on the road, literally.
New artwork sported by a Charlottetown Police Services van clearly identifies the destination of those apprehended for impaired driving.
The image of a jail cell appears with the text "Impaired drivers end up in here."
“It is no secret that police across the Island are dealing with an increased number of preventable offences due to impaired driving," explained Charlottetown Police Chief Paul Smith. "We want to raise awareness around this issue and underscore the consequences of this crime."
Recent statistics show an increase of 7 per cent in impaired driving convictions in 2012 in the greater Charlottetown area. Those spending time in the downtown area will notice increased and targeted patrols as part of the campaign to reverse this trend.
The Prince Edward Island Liquor Control Commission (PEILCC) is a partner in the police vehicle artwork.
“This is one of many ways the PEILCC promotes the need for responsible use of its products in order to prevent needless accidents," said Robert Henderson, minister responsible for the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission.
“This is an important initiative and collaboration between our police service and the Liquor Control Commission. It reinforces the importance of responsible use, a message essential to achieving a safer community,” said Coun. David MacDonald, chair of the city's protective and emergency services committee.
I think this is a great initiative by the police. I dont believe the artwork on the van is going to work as scare tactics though. As a chtown taxi driver one of the biggest problems i see is the long waits for taxis at closing time. We cant take all of them at once unfortunately. Perhaps we need to look at extending the bar hours to 4am. This would allow people who are done at 2 to catch a cab ride while others stay a little later. It would allow the patrons a little more time to stay warm and dry while catching safe transportation home. It may also generate more revenue for local establishments, which in my opinion is not a bad thing. Thirdly it eliminates some of the need for police to be patrolling the area directly around the clubs breaking up fights and dealing with massive crowds of intoxicated people being dumped into the streets all at once. My 2 cents worth.