Over the holiday weekend, the Wingham Police Service started to utilize the funding from a Provincial Government grant to conduct RIDE checks in Wingham.
RIDE is traditionally used in an effort to combat impaired driving however it often results in other charges being laid.
During the holiday weekend, Wingham Police stopped over 100 vehicles resulting in several alcohol, drug and weapons related charges.
A 24 year old Bluevale man attempted to avoid a RIDE checkpoint set up on Josephine St. Police stopped the vehicle and determined that the man had been drinking. He failed the roadside screening test and was taken to the Wingham Police Station for further testing. The man received a three day suspension for driving with alcohol above 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
An 18 year old Guelph man was stopped in a RIDE checkpoint when the officer noticed the odour of marijuana. A subsequent search found the man to be in possession of a quantity of marijuana. He was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
A 21 year old Lucknow area man was found to be in possession of marijuana and alcohol while driving without a license. The man was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Driving with an open container of liquor contrary to Section 32(1) of the Liquor License Act and driving without a license contrary to Section 32(1) of the Highway Traffic Act.
A 27 year old Wingham woman was the passenger in a vehicle and she had an open container of liquor. She was charged under Section 32(1) of the Liquor License Act.
An 18 year old Teeswater woman was stopped and the officer observed marijuana in her possession. A subsequent search revealed liquor, a marijuana plant,
and various drug paraphernalia. The woman was charged with possession of a controlled Substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and Person Under 19 years of age possess liquor contrary to Section 30(8) of the Liquor License Act.
A 33 year old Brussels man was stopped on Victoria Street in Wingham. Police observed a loaded shotgun in the back seat with the safety off. Also sitting on the front seat of the vehicle was a quantity of Marijuana. The man was placed under arrest and a further search was conducted. Additional ammunition for the shotgun and .223 caliber ammunition were located in the vehicle. The man was charged with two counts of unsafe storage of ammunition, one count of unsafe storage of a firearm contrary to Section 86(1) of the Criminal Code and one count of possession of a controlled substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. With the assistance of the Huron OPP, eight additional firearms were seized from his residence for safety reasons.
Police will continue to conduct RIDE checks over the next few months paying particular attention to weekends and holidays.