Country roads, take me home – just watch out for the RIDE program.
“The officers are doing festive RIDE checks on back roads,” said Insp. Gerry Salisbury during the Lanark Highlands Township police services board meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11. “People are surprised to see us doing RIDE checks on back roads.”
Salisbury admitted that he had only had a cursory glance of the first batch of Lanark County RIDE program statistics that very morning, but reiterated that his officers were not just sticking to Highways 7, 43, 15 and route 115.
“Criminals don’t travel those roads,” said Salisbury.
Word is already travelling amongst cottagers about increased enforcement on less-travelled roads.
“It was a proactive approach because it got everybody talking before they left their cottages,” said Coun. Derek Love, the PSB chairman. “They didn’t even have one for the road. They didn’t want to risk it.”
Salisbury added that he wanted to “give our provincial politicians a bit of credit,” for increasing the money for paid duty RIDE grants.
“Don’t be quick to cut this if you have to cut budgets,” fellow board member George Braithwaite warned provincial politicians.
“You can never measure proactive work,” said Salisbury.