Over the past four years, the number of motorists being charged with driving under the influence has been on a steady climb in the City of Stratford.
As officers prepare for holiday ride programs, some believe that Stratford could set a record for the number of impaired charges laid.
To date, Stratford police have handed out the most impaired tickets since 2007.
Inspector Theocharis is not surprised by this developing trend. “I’m not surprised that we’re at the number of arrests we’re at currently.”
Police say it’s tough to say why more tickets are being handed out. But a possible reason is more people are willing to blow the whistle on fellow drivers.
“The fact that there’s been some high profile deaths due to accidents involving alcohol,” says Theocharis. “Citizens are calling.”
In 2008, 38 impaired charges were laid but climbed by 13 the following year.
The charges held steady at 54 for both 2010 and 2011.
Last weekend, three motorists were charged with driving under the influence. All within a few hours of each other. The arrests all happened south of Ontario Street, all in primarily residential areas and none on major thru-ways.
Stratford police are encouraging people to call in, if they suspect an impaired driver.
“We’ll have to wait and see at year’s end what our totals are.” says Theocharis.
He says they’ll likely get up to at least 60 arrests this year. The number of arrests currently sits at 58.
The record number of impaired charges laid in Stratford is 68 in 2003.
