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MADD Canada to honour Nfld. police officers for apprehending impaired drivers

June 6, 2022, St. John’s, Nfld. – MADD Canada will present its Team Nick Coates Awards to members of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for their commitment to taking impaired drivers off roads and highways.

Twelve officers from the two police services will be presented with their 2021/2022 awards at a special ceremony on June 9. The ceremony will also include recipients for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, when in-person award presentations were not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officers who have taken a minimum of 12 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Gold Award. Officers who have taken at least 8 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Silver Award. Officers also receive special commemorative challenge coins.

Established in 2019, the award is named in honour of Nick Coates and pays tribute to him and to all victims of impaired driving. Nick was killed by an impaired driver in St. John’s in August 2013. He was riding his motorcycle back from a work meeting when he was hit by a pickup truck. Nick died in hospital later that day. He was just 27 years old.

MADD Canada thanks the Coates family, the RCMP and the RNC for their support in creating this annual awards program.