Falklands : POLICE HAIL DRINK DRIVE CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 08.01.2011 (Article Archived on 22.01.2011)
Hailed a success, the drink drive campaign run by the Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP) over Christmas and New Year is a sentinel for future policing in the Falklands.
POLICE HAIL DRINK DRIVE CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS
By J. Brock (FINN)
Hailed a success, the drink drive campaign run by the Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP) over Christmas and New Year is a sentinel for future policing in the Falklands.
Commenting on the campaign which ran from Monday 13th December 2010 to Tuesday 4th January 2011, Director of Community Safety and Chief Police Officer Gary Finchett said, “During the campaign a total of twenty drivers were breathalysed by the police for a variety of reasons, mostly after committing moving road traffic offences and two of the drivers were involved in road traffic collisions. Of the twenty drivers breathalysed, five were found to have consumed alcohol to varying degrees although only one was over the prescribed limit”
He went on to say that the driver found to be over the drink drive limit was arrested in Stanley on Sunday 19th December and had consumed over twice the prescribed limit of alcohol. They appeared at Stanley Magistrate’s court on Tuesday 21st December where they were immediately disqualified for 18 months and also received a £500 fine and £85 court costs. He stated that the RFIP, Attorney General’s Chambers and the Court had worked closely together to ensure the offender appeared at court within two days of the offence being committed saying,“ This was an excellent example of simple, speedy, summary justice”.
Mr Finchett said, “I’m slightly disappointed that one in four of the people we breathalysed had consumed alcohol as even a small amount of alcohol can impair a driver’s reactions. However, I’m very pleased that only one driver was found to be over the prescribed limit albeit by a considerable amount”.
He also warned drivers that the end of the campaign would not signify any reduction in police efforts to catch drink drivers saying, “RFIP remains committed to targeting drink drivers in order to keep people safe”.
|
