Police Officers’ Perceptions and Attitudes About Impaired Driving Law Enforcement in Canada

A national survey of front line police officers’ perceptions and attitudes regarding detection and processing of driving while impaired (DWI) charges, the criminal court proceedings, and DWI sanctions was conducted. A sample of 1545 officers representative o f all jurisdictions across the country, different types of services (i.e., national, provincial, municipal) and types of policing (i.e., traffic, general duty) were surveyed by mail. Issues addressed in the questionnaire included, number o f charges laid, methods of detection, use of discretion, court process, (i.e., elapsed time, plea bargaining, evidence, conviction rates), perceived effectiveness of sanctions and importance of DW I compared to other criminal offences, and attitudes toward alternative measures to deal with impaired drivers. The results indicate that DWI charges are time consuming, mainly because o f breath testing, paperwork and court time, thereby reducing capability to answer calls for service. Many officers use less formal means of dealing with impaired drivers and the courts use plea bargaining to avoid lengthy trials. DW I appears to have increased as a priority for officers yet they do not believe that they have adequate resources to deal with it. Officers appear to support further administrative rather than criminal law changes.