Music

Cop apologizes to Nickelback for threatening drunk drivers with their music

by Jeremy Mersereau

Constable Rob Hartlen, the PEI police officer behind the novel (and viral) tactic of using Nickelback to deter drunk drivers, has apologized on his department’s official Facebook page for using the band as a disincentive and taking a cheap pot shot at Canada’s biggest punching bag/purveyors of post-grunge butt-rock.

In another Facebook post, Const. Rob Hartlen expresses his remorse for besmirching the name of Calgary’s favourite sons, and apologize in the face of accusations that he was making light of drunk driving.

“At the time I thought this was a great idea, all pure intentions, get the message out. Well, as we have seen, our little post became an international story. And somewhere in the noise, the message of ‘don’t drink and drive’ was overshadowed by negativity towards the band I said I would play if you did,” Hartlen says in the post.

He continues: “I was accused of making light of drinking and driving. I was stunned by that. I, as a police officer, and as EVERY police officer before me, know too well the catastrophic devastation drinking behind the wheel can create.

He goes on to apologize for taking unjust aim at the ‘Back boys:

“I am sorry to Chad, Ryan, Mike and Daniel. Not as just members of Nickelback, but more importantly as fellow Canadians. You guys share so much with so many and I truly feel bad for using that the way I did. It was not my intention, It was not my desire but it was the outcome and I have to own that. So for that I am sorry.”

Read the post in full here. The police department will be launching a new anti-drinking and driving initiative, one that probably won’t use playing a shitty band as a deterrent. You never know though, one threat of being forced to listen to an act like Attila and I bet you’d see a new Prohibition localized entirely in PEI.

[H/T The National Post]