Mountie on a ‘mission’ honoured for service

A Kelowna RCMP officer who helped remove 78 impaired drivers off the city’s streets in 2021, has been recognized for his dedication.

Const. Brad Smith has spent his entire 13-year career in traffic services where he has committed himself to becoming an expert in the field.

“He has made it his mission to improve his team, the detachment and the streets of Kelowna,” a news release from the RCMP stated.

Each year, The BC Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP) award five separate Traffic Safety Awards within the province for noteworthy performance and Smith is often a recipient.

In addition to his success record with impaired drivers, Smith is one of only three drug recognition experts posted in Kelowna and they combined to perform a total of 52 evaluations in 2021. Smith performed 40 of them, well above the provincial average of seven.

In recognition, Const. Smith was named an Alexa’s Team All-Star for the sixth time in his career and is on track to be nominated as the Alexa’s Team Top Cop once again in 2021, a recognition he achieved in 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Alexa’s Team is named in honour of four-year-old Alexa Middelaer who was killed by an impaired driver in Delta in 2008. Alexa’s Team pays tribute to the dedicated RCMP and municipal police officers who make an extraordinary contribution to reducing the number of drivers affected by alcohol or drugs on B.C.’s roads and highways.

“Const. Smith is a self-motivated member who takes his role as a traffic member seriously,” Sgt. Mark Booth of the Kelowna Municipal Traffic Services said. “He has embraced his role as a traffic member and without question, he exemplifies the core values of leadership, innovative thinking and a dedication to the organization and the community that he serves.”