Stopping impaired drivers is the aim of Alexa含羞草研究社檚 Team.

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

Alexa含羞草研究社檚 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.

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

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

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 an overwhelming sense, as with most police officers, that we want to protect the society and community.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 a never-ending cycle with drunk driving, he said.

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

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

含羞草研究社淪ince its inception in 2008, Alexa含羞草研究社檚 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,含羞草研究社� states an RCMP release.

含羞草研究社淎lexa含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e very ordinary simple people, and I含羞草研究社檓 very surprised the story of Alexa has continued to inspire,含羞草研究社� said Middlelaur. 含羞草研究社淚t was a tragedy and such an innocent thing for a child to do, feed a horse and I think that含羞草研究社檚 significant for people in B.C.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and find some good,含羞草研究社� she said.

Alexa含羞草研究社檚 Team recognition events are held in Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George.