Elk Valley RCMP is working to tackle impaired driving in the region, with 31 calls across the detachment’s jurisdiction in the last three months.
According to their third-quarter report, Fernie had the largest volume of impaired driving incidents in the Elk Valley with 17 investigations.
Elk Valley RCMP Staff Sergeant Svend Nielsen says Fernie’s high concentration is likely a result of the ski season.
“I think that keener focus generates itself because of the businesses and environment in Fernie. I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing whatsoever because there’s a great deal of responsibility in the businesses of Fernie,” said Nielsen.
“The community is a ski resort and tourist town, you’re going to see that kind of focus to a certain extent.”
In the same time period, five impaired driving investigations were based in Elkford, one occurred in Sparwood and eight were called in from the surrounding rural areas.
Nielsen says impaired driving reports tend to shift around the region throughout the year.
“We’re generally going to end up where the people are, much like we do in the South Country in the summertime when we’re dealing with the rural significance of the call volumes,” said Nielsen.
“It’s a necessity for us to change in how we approach and deal with those areas, especially in the summer when there’s upwards of 300,000 people there over four months.”
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