Police in Ontario consider shaming drunk drivers online
Posted January 12, 2017 7:55 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VAUGHN, ON. (NEWS 1130) – Citing the message simply isn’t getting through to drivers, a police department in southern Ontario is considering a plan to shame suspected drunk drivers by posting their pictures online.
“I really feel for the York Regional Police and I feel for the local police also because people are continuing to drive impaired. It’s crazy,” says Bob Rorison, the president of the Greater Vancouver chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
He says the idea is definitely worth considering. “Anything that reduces the number of impaired drivers is a good idea. But every idea that comes along has consequences and the consequences here may be the rights and freedoms of people.”
Whether the York Regional Police have the ability to do that — if peoples’ privacy is infringed — then they could face consequences,” says Rorison.
Several departments and RCMP detachments in the Lower Mainland didn’t want to comment on the story but confirmed they are not considering the practice.
Coquitlam Mounties say their policy is not to name anyone until they’re proven guilty in court and Rorison admits it’s a tricky situation. “Any time you put somebody’s name out in public, there’s a backlash. So you have to be very cautious about how you do this.”
Vancouver-based criminal lawyer and NEWS 1130 Legal Analyst Michael Shapray calls it an interesting idea. “It’s not the norm in Canada or certainly in British Columbia to see that happen. It will be interesting to see whether or not they actually follow through on that proposed plan.”
But he notes there is a slight difference between Ontario’s system and the one here in BC. “In Ontario, the police lay the charges not the Crown prosecutor. So once the police have laid a charge that information is a little different than here where the charges might not be approved down the road.”
He adds he hasn’t heard of any local departments considering the practice nor any studies suggesting that it is an effective tactic.
