SUNDRE – Less than two years into his career with the RCMP, a rookie member of the Sundre detachment was recently recognized for his efforts in keeping the roads safe from impaired drivers.
Originally from Kazakhstan, Const. Kirill Alyakna decided to pursue opportunity in Canada and his first posting with the RCMP was at the local detachment, which he joined just last year.
He was among dozens of members who were recently presented with the 2024 Cpl. Cumming’s Watch memorial award for their efforts in helping to prevent needless deaths and injuries caused by intoxicated motorists.
“It’s very impressive for a member of less than two years’ service to have achieved this award,” said Cpl. Courtney Harding, the detachment’s acting commander.
“He’s definitely shown a lot of initiative, hard work, dedication to public safety by being out there on the roads, pulling vehicles over and looking to do what he can to keep these roads safe,” Harding said during an interview at the local detachment.
“I look forward to my daily briefings and seeing exactly what he’s achieving,” she said.
“We’re definitely proud of AK,” she said. “He makes us look very good here.”
Asked if the constable sets the bar high, Harding replied, “He sure does."
“Even for the most experienced of police officers, the amount of initiative and drive he shows should be recognized and commended, and I think that this award speaks to that,” she said.
Alyakna earned a silver recognition for initiating contact with more than 30 motorists that ultimately led to 16 breathalyzer fails, and Harding is confident he is already on track in 2025 to be in the running for gold recognition next year.
“One of the community-identified priorities for the Town of Sundre and rural counties, Mountain View and Clearwater, is certainly traffic safety,” she said.
“That’s the Number 1 identified concern for the community. Certainly, Const. Alyakna, his efforts in this area speak to that, they work towards the community’s concerns.”
Alyakna told the Albertan that above and beyond pursuing Criminal Code investigations as they arise, he spends as much time as he has available on shift out on patrol.
“I want to make sure that the roads are safe,” he said, adding impaired drivers have a huge impact on people’s lives and the community.
Impaired drivers don’t tend to understand the greater implications of their own actions that put the lives of others, including themselves, in harm’s way, he said.
“They can actually result in the loss of life.”
The constable recollected a close call experienced by a friend of his who had sustained injuries but was fortunate enough to escape serious physical trauma and the associated mental distress after being rear-ended by a driver later deemed to be under the influence.
“Impaired drivers cause an unsafe environment for everybody,” he said, adding that even sober and responsible drivers can still be impacted by intoxicated drivers at any time.
Intoxicated motorists vary and each interaction is different; some have children in the back, there are those found with illicit narcotics or weapons, and others yet who can barely stand up or talk coherently.
In his experience, the constable said impaired drivers tend to become overconfident and that if they haven’t yet been caught, they never will be. But their actions will either by fate or law eventually catch up with them, he said.
If they get pulled over and fail a sobriety test, they depending on the severity of the circumstances will face either Criminal Code charges or provincial sanctions, he said, adding that means getting a life-altering criminal record or expensive tickets and a suspension.
“Obviously with a fail comes a 30-day mandatory vehicle seizure,” he said.
Some may consider the laws hard and the fines steep, but one cannot put a price tag on a life. At the end of the day, the constable said he derives “a lot of satisfaction and pride” from proactively policing the streets and busting intoxicated drivers.
“I feel like getting this award at this point is the hard work that paid off on my end.”
Offering advice to any driver who is thinking about getting behind the wheel impaired, he said Sundre does have some taxi services.
But if they’re not immediately available, the constable urges them to leave their vehicle parked and find alternate arrangements.
“Call your friend, call your immediate relative or whoever can pick you up,” he said, adding a bad decision made in a fleeting moment can cause a lifetime of regret.
“It’s not worth driving your vehicle and being caught, or driving the vehicle while intoxicated and possibly killing somebody,” he said.
Planning ahead is also important – many of the impaired motorists he nabs were on their way to pick up more alcohol at the liquor store after having already started to party.
“Unfortunately, from my experience, I’ve had interactions with quite a few drivers who do get more alcohol by driving to a liquor store, but they get caught because they are impaired at that particular moment,” he said.
The constable expressed no intention of slowing down.
“I’m not stopping doing this,” he said, adding part of his plans is to conduct more random check stops in coordination with partners such as Sheriffs, Wildlife, Conservation officers, and bylaw.
“We show huge collaboration between other agencies as well and it always pays off,” he said, extending appreciation for the understanding and patience of responsible motorists, and that the overall grand scheme of keeping the roads as safe as possible is worth the few minutes of inconvenience.
His goal for 2025 is to get his numbers in the running for gold. The constable said he wants to give his colleague and mentor who taught him what he knows – Const. Tim Dulmage with the detachment in Olds who’s earned the gold certificate three times – a run for his money.
Established in 2015 in collaboration with MADD Canada, Alberta RCMP and Alberta Transportation, the award honours the memory of late Cpl. Grame Cumming, who in 1998 was killed near Lethbridge by impaired driver while on duty.
