WATCH: Audit finds significant problems with roadside breathalyzers in Kelowna

KELOWNA – In the war against drunk driving they’re called “approved screening devices”.

But an internal RCMP audit last year certainly didn’t approve of the way the roadside breathalyzers were being calibrated in Kelowna finding significant improvement is required.

The audit results were obtained by Vancouver lawyer Paul Doroshenko who says: “They discovered catastrophic, catastrophic problems.”

Some officers weren’t doing their ASD paperwork properly. More serious, they weren’t following accuracy check procedures to ensure the devices were giving the right readings. And some of the machines may have been used after their service expiry date.

In the audit summary, Cst. Ron Misiuk writes: “The errors being made ranged from simple clerical ones to significant and important ones with the latter resulting in bringing the IRP (immediate roadside prohibition) process, and CC (criminal code) impaired driving investigations into question.”

Eight of of the Kelowna detachment’s ASD’s were immediately removed from service.

“It’s really shocking to know police are sitting on a lot of this information and they’re not making it public,” says Doroshenko, adding potentially false readings means some drivers may have been wrongly punished.

But Supt. Denis Boucher of E Division Traffic Services says a follow up investigation to the audit found: “There are no concerns in regards to the reliability of the test results or the accuracy of the instruments. No IRP investigations were compromised.”

The use of the roadside breathalyzers by Central Okanagan Traffic Services was also audited.

As at the Kelowna detachment, similar errors were found and a further eight of the devices were pulled from service.

“One calibrator in particular is not following the ASD Accuracy Check Procedure as outlined in the training material or keeping abreast of the Bulletins that have been issued from E division. This has resulted in numerous significant errors” says Cst. Misiuk.

He adds: “The program at COTS requires a solid, unit level Quality Assurance Process to be implemented.”