Ontario police officer honoured for decades of impaired driving enforcement

OAKVILLE · An Ontario Provincial Police officer has been honoured for his long career combating impaired driving. Constable Aaron Coulter of the Southern Georgian Bay detachment received the Terry Ryan Memorial for Excellence in Police Services Award from MADD Canada. The award recognizes his more than 27 years of work in impaired driving prevention and enforcement. It is presented annually to a police officer who has made a significant contribution to reducing impaired driving. The award is named for Constable Terry Ryan, who was killed in an alcohol-related crash in Ontario in 2002.

"Proactive enforcement is an important part of reducing impaired driving and preventing crashes and injuries," said Trisha Dosaj, national president of MADD Canada. Dosaj was injured in an impaired driving crash in 2013 with her daughter, Sophia, while her sister, Jayna, and unborn niece, Lauren, were killed. "As someone whose life was forever changed by impaired driving, I know the importance of having dedicated police officers working to prevent others from experiencing the same devastating loss. Constable Coulter’s commitment to enforcement, education, mentorship and community service is helping make our roads safer and deserves this recognition."

Coulter has developed extensive expertise in alcohol- and drug-impaired driving investigations during his career. He holds qualifications as a Breath Technician, Drug Recognition Evaluator and Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor. His enforcement work includes collecting over 300 evidentiary breath samples since 2004. After qualifying as a Drug Recognition Evaluator in 2008, he has been involved in about 150 drug evaluations.

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Acting Chief Superintendent Jodi Kays, regional commander for Central Region, said Coulter's influence extends beyond his own cases. "Constable Aaron Coulter’s commitment to impaired driving enforcement extends far beyond his own investigations," said Kays. "Through mentorship, training and sharing his extensive expertise with colleagues across Central Region, he has helped strengthen our collective ability to keep communities safe. His dedication to public safety and his support of fellow officers make him exceptionally deserving of this recognition. On behalf of Central Region, I congratulate him on receiving the Terry Ryan Memorial Award for Excellence in Police Services."

Steve Sullivan, CEO of MADD Canada, said officers see the devastation of impaired driving firsthand. "Police officers work day and night to remove impaired drivers from our roads, waterways and trails," said Sullivan. "They see the devastation of impaired driving firsthand and are often called to horrific crash scenes and tasked with delivering heartbreaking news to families. Their dedication to stopping impaired driving and protecting our communities means so much to MADD Canada and to every family affected by this preventable crime."

Coulter has also contributed through public education and training. He has shared his expertise at provincial and national conferences and supported schools and community groups in English and French. He has provided guidance to police services in remote communities to help strengthen their impaired driving enforcement capabilities. MADD Canada hosts similar police awards in several other provinces and the Yukon.

With files from Financial Post