Ascension : Police Activity Report
Submitted by The Islander (Police Ascension) 06.12.2007 (Article Archived on 20.12.2007)

Another year has gone by and with the festive season approaching. Christmas is the time for celebration and everyone looks forward to their enjoyment.

Another year has gone by and with the festive season approaching.  Christmas is the time for celebration and everyone looks forward to their enjoyment. Christmas is a busy period where their is that extra shopping and not forgetting the indulgence in liquor.  A word of advice is to be extra careful when out shopping, is to ensure that nothing is in view of prying eyes’ in particular your purse containing money. Always keeps it in a safe place at all times.

This year we will be running a Christmas Drink Drive campaign to combat the on going problem. We are here to educate the public and seen as proactive to alleviate some of the problems encountered.  The campaign aims to convince all drivers, that a drink drive conviction has the potential to ruin the lifestyle by highlighting a mixture of the legal and personal consequences.

·        Being caught and breathalysed by the police 

·        12 month or more driving ban

·         Criminal record

·         Hefty fine

·         Lifestyle changes (i.e. potential loss of job, relationship or vehicle.

 Furthermore you could injure, kill someone and to include yourself. Throughout the clubs and work places posters will be displayed to discourage you from Drink Driving. There will be leaflets to take away to read at your own leisure. If you see someone who has had too much too drink, then it would be advisable not to sell or offer them any more drink.

Campaign Objectives

To increase awareness of the personal consequences of a driving conviction

To encourage the belief that 1or 2 drinks are too many before driving

To reinforce and build the social stigma around drink driving.

Key message

Don’t’ Drink and Drive

A drink drive conviction has the potential to ruin your life.

Campaign Timings

Volcano Club Conference Room 03-09 December

Two Boasts Club 10-15 December

Mountain View Club 17-22 December

Saints Club 24-29 December.

The campaign will take the form of an information board with all the relevant literature pertaining to drink drive and the consequences. Officers will be present on Friday/Saturday evening at the aforementioned venues, to explain the objective of the campaign and to answer any questions or queries you may have. In addition to these venues we will also be visiting several work places. To test your ability of how alcohol can affect your impairment of vision. There are specially design goggles which have been modified to capture your peripheral area of surroundings impairing your ability to drive.  You can experience the effects of alcohol and demonstrates how others can be seen. These goggles are set out in three modules, the legal limit, over the legal limit and darken for driving at night. Please feel free to try them and experience the effects and tell us what you think. Should you be drinking and driving?

Last month you will recall the training undertaken by the police, introducing new measures in analysing the alcohol content in a person’s breath which is commonly known as Breath Alcohol Concentration (BAC). At each venue on display will be the Intoxilyzer 8000 and Lion Alcolmeters 500. The exciting part of the campaign is that you will have the opportunity to take a breath sample on both of these instruments or the current Alcolmeters that we have in use. This will give you an idea of the police procedures when administering the breath test. You will also be able to and after having a few drinks gauge the amount of alcohol you have consumed and the results. Of course we will not be catching you out, but to have a fair idea on the level of alcohol you have consumed and how it affects you.   This is an opportune time for you to come forward to experience the demo as a guinea-pig. The campaign will be reinforce by conducting a series of vehicle checks throughout the island.   Please ensure that your vehicle is a roadworthy condition and that your driving standards are acceptable, which not give would rise to any suspicion for the police to stop you.   

We have promoted the campaign with a partnership approached by involving several organisations, and Henry’s Bus service in providing transportation. They are supportive of this campaign and have agreed to provide this service. You are advise to take advantage of this and to avoid been caught out in drink driving.    

We have always placed high emphasis on Drink Driving, but have never mention the consequences of driving whilst under the influence of drugs. Whether prescribed medication or illegal substance is just as dangerous and driving under the influence of alcohol. It is against the law. Drugs can affect your mind or body in a variety of ways that mean you aren’t able to drive safely. Drugs make you do stupid things; make sure that’s driving not one of them.

This is our last activity report for this year. On behalf of the detachment I take this opportunity of thanking the Chief of Police for making his Official Visit and to those persons, who have painstakingly given up their time to meet him, in his official capacity. The visit was seen as beneficial in developing the service and also it has given you the opportunity to raise any questions or queries, which I am sure that a favourable solution or answers were given. 

Finally the Traditional Christmas message to the people of Ascension, we wish you all a Peaceful and Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.  DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!!!!

Reg Williams
Inspector of Police