Three York Regional Police officers are being honoured by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) York Region for their outstanding efforts in fighting impaired driving.
Two officers received the Sarah Riddell Officer of the Year Award at the MADD York Region annual awards ceremony Oct. 23.
The award acknowledges exceptional enforcement of impaired operation by way of arrests, charges, convictions, breath tests and drug recognition evaluation, according to a York Regional Police news release. It was named for former Road Safety Bureau Staff Sgt. Sarah Riddell, in recognition of her ongoing support in assisting MADD York Region in its mission to stop impaired driving and support victims of this violent crime. She is currently the officer in charge of community services.
Const. Jason Noble of the Road Safety Bureau has been a member of York Regional Police since 2019. He has made more than 60 impaired-related arrests in the last two years while fulfilling his duties as a breath technician and a drug recognition expert (DRE).
Const. Matthew Rooney, of #2 District, has been a member of York Regional Police since 2019. Also a breath technician and DRE, he has conducted 33 evaluations on drivers arrested for impaired driving, including a July arrest that resulted in the seizure of a significant amount of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Const. Todd Snooks, of the Road Safety Bureau’s programs and partnerships unit, was named the recipient of MADD’s Special Recognition Award, for a person considered to have gone above and beyond to help stop impaired driving and support victims. Const. Snooks has been developing and implementing road safety initiatives for his unit for more than three years.
“I couldn’t be prouder of these officers for their ongoing support of MADD York Region and their dedication to end impaired driving,” said Deputy Chief Kevin McCloskey. “York Regional Police has spent many years playing a critical role in keeping our roadways safe and these officers are an excellent example of our organizational perseverance in continuing the fight against impaired driving.”
