Pulling an impaired driver off the street is something that members of the Regina Police Service have had to do far too often over the years.

Several officers are being praised for their work in catching someone who is behind the wheel when they shouldn’t be by being awarded the Van de Vorst Family Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Each of fhe 19 made at least eight impaired driving arrests during the year. It is an award that Constable Greg Krawetz with Regina Police says is nice to have, but he wishes they didn’t and that this shows the drinking and driving problem that still exists.

Krawetz says these arrests are stopping some worse from happening and that his officers don’t want to attend the scene of a crash where alcohol was involved for obvious reasons.

“In my role as the collision investigator for the Regina Police Service for the last eleven years, I have been to my fair share of fatal collisions where alcohol is a factor.” Krawitz said. “I would prefer never to attend any of those and I know the guys and gals on the street wouldn’t like to attend those either.”

While 19 made the grade, Krawetz says several just missed out which shows drinking and driving remains problematic in Regina,

“It would be great if this number was zero.” Kravetz said. “Impaired driving is 100 percent preventable. It doesn’t need to happen and it is a choice people make.  The fact we had so many officers recognized and others being close to being recognized shows what a problem this still is in Regina.”

The recognition is named after the Van De Vorsts, a family of four killed by an impaired driver in January 2016 just outside of Saskatoon.  Members of the family created the award to salute the many officers who are doing their best to keep impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.