Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada has a new champion in Yellowknife, working every shift to reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads.
Cst. Russell Grimshaw arrived in Yellowknife in November 2020 and shortly after arriving, was presented with the Cpl. Cumming's Watch award for work he had done in his previous detachment, Strathcona County RCMP in Alberta. The award was presented in a small gathering at the Yellowknife Detachment and also served as an introduction to his new colleagues.
Cpl. Cumming's Watch is a collaborative effort between Alberta RCMP and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada to support police efforts in the detection and removal of impaired drivers on Alberta roads. The program is named in honour of Cpl. Graeme Cumming, a member of the RCMP who was killed on duty by an impaired driver while attending a traffic incident on Highway 3 near Lethbridge, Alta., on August 12, 1998.
In Cst. Grimshaw's six (6) years of service, he has already received this award 4 consecutive years and aims to continue the trend of vigorously enforcing impaired driving laws in Yellowknife. What drives him to place so much focus on impaired driving enforcement? "I have seen the tragic consequence of impaired driving and how it can tear lives apart. I have been to several fatal motor vehicle collisions and completed next of kin notifications, the consequences of a person's choice to drive while impaired are achingly real in those situations. Because of this, I am very passionate about my work and am motivated to continue it here in the NWT." – Cst. Grimshaw
If you see a suspected impaired driver or suspicious activity, call your local RCMP detachment, for Yellowknife 669-1111, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or text: "nwtnutips" plus your message to 274637.