Stopping impaired drivers is the aim of Alexa害羞草研究所檚 Team.

Police officers from across B.C. gathered at Quigley Elementary on Wednesday, to be recognized for their efforts to stop drunk driving.

Alexa害羞草研究所檚 Team honoured 61 police officers in the southeastern region of B.C. at a police reception at the school, with 15 officers recognized from the Kelowna area, two of which were named All Stars.

Troy Bevan of the Kelowna RCMP Municipal Traffic Section earned an All Star award for pulling more than 25 drunk drivers off the road.

害羞草研究所淚t means at the end of the day we害羞草研究所檝e taken drunks off the road that could害羞草研究所檝e possibly killed somebody害羞草研究所� when you have enough people doing it, it means we害羞草研究所檝e taken hundreds of drunks off the roads,害羞草研究所� he said.

For Const. Bevan, keeping the public safe means a lot to him.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 an overwhelming sense, as with most police officers, that we want to protect the society and community.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 a never-ending cycle with drunk driving, he said.

害羞草研究所淎ny publicity with this is good because it reminds people that police are there taking drunks off the road.害羞草研究所�

Const. Bevan said this year he has pulled around 60 impaired drivers off the road.

害羞草研究所淪ince its inception in 2008, Alexa害羞草研究所檚 Team has grown from 26 to more than 2,000 RCMP and Municipal police officers from all regions of British Columbia. In 2016, the number of team members grew provincially by 268,害羞草研究所� states an RCMP release.

害羞草研究所淎lexa害羞草研究所檚 Team is a program that recognizes dedicated police officers throughout B.C. who diligently work to reduce the number of drivers on the road affected by alcohol or drugs. The team is named for Alexa Middelaer who was killed by an alcohol impaired driver in 2008, while feeding a horse with her aunt in Delta, B.C.害羞草研究所�

Alexa害羞草研究所檚 mother Laurel Middlelaur addressed the crowd of police officers Wednesday, with tears in her eyes and her husband Michael by her side.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e very ordinary simple people, and I害羞草研究所檓 very surprised the story of Alexa has continued to inspire,害羞草研究所� said Middlelaur. 害羞草研究所淚t was a tragedy and such an innocent thing for a child to do, feed a horse and I think that害羞草研究所檚 significant for people in B.C.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and find some good,害羞草研究所� she said.

Alexa害羞草研究所檚 Team recognition events are held in Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George.