SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A dozen people showed up in court on Tuesday for charges of impaired driving.

RCMP conduct a check stop on Range Lake Road in early August. Police use check stops to screen drivers for signs of impairment, something Yellowknife RCMP have been doing more of lately. - Daniel Campbell/NNSL photo

For four of them, it's not their first time answering to impaired driving charges. But all 12 are part of a trend this year involving an upswing of drunk driving in Yellowknife - by October, Yellowknife RCMP had reported 203 incidents of impaired driving since January - already surpassing last year's total of 181.

Sgt. Marc Coulombe, a spokesperson with Yellowknife RCMP, said police have charged two people this month with impaired driving. Last December, there were 21 reported cases of impaired driving in the city, with RCMP laying seven charges.

"Compared to last December, it's a downward trend. We hope it continues," said Coulombe.

On Dec. 6, RCMP kicked off a national impaired driving enforcement campaign, which will involve check stops over the holiday season.

Yellowknife RCMP outlined its "community performance plans," to city council in November, which include increased visibility in the community, interacting with youth and impaired driving investigations.

Coulombe said Yellowknife RCMP plan to keep enforcing impaired driving well after the national campaign is over.

The increased enforcement means those who chose to drink and drive are more likely to get caught ... again and again.

Justin Couch was in territorial court on Tuesday to plead guilty to driving while over the legal limit of alcohol in his system, driving while prohibited and driving without registration from an incident on Oct. 26.

Couch had been found guilty of driving over the legal limit only two months prior. This will be his second impaired driving conviction. Couch is charged with stunt driving from the Oct. 26 incident as well, although he reserved his plea for that count.

Jack Walker wasn't in territorial court on Tuesday, although he was supposed to be there for impaired driving charges. A clerical error means he wasn't informed of the correct date for his appearance.

Walker is charged with driving while impaired, driving with over the legal limit of alcohol in his system and driving while disqualified from an incident on July 18. According to court records, it's his third time being charged with similar offences in the last four years.

Rick Wedzin was expected to be in court on Tuesday as well, but was nowhere to be seen. He's charged with impaired driving from an incident on Oct. 13 - his third time being charged with impaired driving, according to court records. Judge Bernadette Schmaltz issued a warrant for his arrest.

Another man, who won't be named pending a finding of guilt on his impaired driving charges, was charged by police twice this year for impaired driving. He was charged with driving while impaired and driving with over the legal limit of alcohol in his system on March 3. He was charged again on Nov. 10, when he allegedly refused to provide a breath sample to police when ordered. The man is set to make a plea on the charges from both incidents on Jan. 21.

Coulombe said re-offenders can be sent to jail if they're caught drinking and driving again.

But he added there's a much more important reason re-offenders should rethink the decision to drive impaired again.

"You're not only putting your life at risk, you're putting others at risk. So think of somebody else's family when you make that decision."

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