On Saturday August 31^st area police services collaboratively came together for a Joint Forces R.I.D.E with the mission to provide a strong, visible police presence in the City of Owen Sound with a focus on effective enforcement and deterrence of impaired driving and related offences.   Joining the Owen Sound Police were officers from the Ontario Provincial Police, Saugeen Shores, Hanover and West Grey Police Services. 

This joint traffic initiative resulted in 860 drivers being checked for sobriety.  The majority of the drivers were found to be in compliance with our drinking and driving laws as well as rules under the Highway Traffic Act.  Unfortunately, this initiative did result in one driver having his licence suspended for 3 days after registering a warning on the road side screening device, and another driver who failed the road side test and was placed in police custody. 

The 60-year-old Owen Sound man was escorted to the Owen Sound Police Service for samples for his breath to be taken by a qualified breath technician.  The driver’s breath tests showed he had well over double the legal limit of alcohol in his blood. This was the man’s second impaired charge for this year.   The driver now faces further criminal charges, as well his vehicle was towed and impounded for a period of 7days and his drivers’ licence automatically suspended for 90 days.  He was later released from police custody and will once again appear in the Owen Sound Court of Justice.