Drunk passengers have prompted police calls to B.C. Ferries terminals 15 times this month, which has the ferry corporation urging passengers not to drink or do drugs during sailings.
Every summer, B.C. Ferries sees an increase in people drinking on board.
“I think with the warm weather we’ve had, people want to enjoy a cold beer on a warm day, but we want to remind people the appropriate time to do that is when they reach their destination,” said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall. “We’re a family show. We’ve got lots of families on their summer vacation and sometimes people can get pretty rambunctious and rowdy when drinking.”
Sidney/North Saanich RCMP haven’t caught any impaired drivers coming off the ferry this month, said spokeswoman Cpl. Erin Fraser. Mounties did respond to two incidents of people drinking in the ferry lineup, one of whom was a passenger in a limo, Fraser said.
Nanaimo RCMP responded to the Duke Point and Horseshoe Bay ferry terminals three times in June, said Sgt. Sheryl Armstrong. One incident was drug-related and the other two calls were for unruly passengers, but it’s unclear if alcohol was involved, she said.
Armstrong said Nanaimo RCMP typically sees a spike in alcohol-related incidents at ferry terminals during the summer.
“The traffic guys will set up roadblocks and a lot of times the general public or B.C. Ferries staff will call us,” she said. “They’ll give us the plate number and we will always attend.”
Just like on the road, it’s a criminal offence to drink and drive on B.C. Ferries’ vessels or at terminals.
“B.C. Ferries takes safety very seriously and that includes the sobriety of motorists on our property,” said Corrine Storey, Ferries’ vice-president of customer services. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for passengers under the influence of drugs or alcohol and the unacceptable conduct that can be associated with impairment.”
Anyone who sees people drinking on the ferry or in a vehicle waiting in the ferry lineup should alert staff, who can then call police, Marshall said. Staff often provide police a description of the person or vehicle licence plate, or at times, police will come on board the ferry before it unloads.
On Monday night, traffic officers from across Greater Victoria launched their summer Counter Attack campaign, targeting drunk drivers.
Police from West Shore RCMP, Victoria and Saanich police and the Integrated Road Safety Unit will set up roadblocks across the region this week, including on Canada Day, one of the busiest days of the year for police, largely due to alcohol-related incidents.
For the fourth Canada Day in a row, people can report non-emergency calls to Victoria police via Twitter, using the hashtag #VicPDHelps. The hashtag will be monitored between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
Victoria police encourage people to share photos in real time so they can respond to public intoxication, people drinking on buses or other disturbances, said spokesman Const. Mike Russell. Those reporting emergencies should still call 911.
