FORT FRANCES – A resident of Fort Frances has been arrested and charged with impaired operation following an Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) alert. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on March 7, 2023, when officers with the Rainy River District Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) initiated a traffic stop on a motor vehicle on Sixth Street in Fort Frances after being alerted by the ALPR system of a suspected unlicensed driver.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the driver, identified as Damon Kelly, 24-years-old, of Nestor Falls, was impaired by alcohol. The accused was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Rainy River District Detachment for further testing. Kelly has been charged under the Criminal Code with Impaired Operation – Blood Alcohol Concentration 80 plus.
Kelly has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Fort Frances on April 17, 2023, to answer to the charge. The OPP is dedicated to removing alcohol/drug-impaired drivers from our roads through enforcement and public education. If you suspect someone is driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, it is crucial to call 9-1-1 to report it. Drivers are also reminded of the Mandatory Alcohol Screening law, which allows police with an approved alcohol screening device to demand a roadside breath sample from any lawfully stopped driver without having reasonable suspicion that the driver is alcohol-impaired.
An Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) alert is a notification generated by an ALPR system when it detects a license plate that matches a particular set of criteria. ALPR technology uses high-speed cameras to capture images of license plates and then processes these images to identify the alphanumeric characters on the plate. The ALPR system can then compare the license plate number against a database of known license plates to determine if the vehicle is associated with any suspicious activity, such as being linked to a stolen vehicle or a wanted individual.
All patrol vehicles in the Rainy River District are equipped with ALPR technology, which has proven to be an effective way to increase the efficiency of discovering and investigating traffic and criminal offenses. The system detects license plates linked to occurrences such as wanted or missing persons, stolen vehicles, stolen and unattached plates, suspended/prohibited drivers, vehicles associated with AMBER Alerts, and other serious occurrences.
