ENFORCEMENT TO RAMP UP
Alberta adding 700 peace officers to enforce new pandemic rules
The City of Calgary and Alberta Health Services are ramping up enforcement of public health orders put in place by the province as complaints surrounding violations of those rules continue to escalate.
Justice Minister Kaycee Madu announced Friday the province would temporarily expand the number of peace officers who can sanction fines against those who break public health rules.
In Calgary, that authority already belonged to Calgary police officers and around 15 Level 1 peace officers, who are responsible for issuing tickets related to more egregious violations.
The move by the province will extend that capacity to around 700 more peace officers across Alberta, including around 69 at Level 2 in Calgary.
Madu said the government isn't asking them to enforce public health orders in place of their day-to-day responsibilities, “or to harass responsible Albertans going about their everyday lives,” but rather to ensure Albertans comply with new rules announced this week aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“You are going to see a heightened level of enforcement in those cases where there are individuals who are blatantly non-compliant with the health measures,” he said. “This is not by preference, but because of the reality we face as a province.”
Level 2 officers have been trained at nearly the same standard as those in Level 1, according to city officials.
“We're at a point now where we've done a lot of education, and there may still be more opportunities for more education,” said Tom Sampson, the outgoing chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.
“If COVID keeps going down this road, keeps presenting us a challenge … enforcement will need to come into play.”
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has also warned individuals flouting measures that restrict social gatherings to expect hefty fines, noting earlier in the week that the time for education over enforcement had passed.
Indoor social gatherings in any setting, including workplaces and homes, are banned across Alberta. Outdoor social gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people.
Indoor social contact must be limited to those within a single household, according to the province. Those who live alone are permitted up to two non-household social contacts.
Not following mandatory restrictions could result in fines of up to $1,000 per offence and up to $100,000 through the courts “in extreme cases.”
“To those who refuse to accept the reality of the situation, I understand that this is an extraordinary encroachment on your personal liberty, but you must accept these temporary measures,” Madu said.
“With respect to how the police is going to enforce these health measures … as minister of justice, my expectation is that those who are in violation of the measures that we have put in place would have to be held accountable.”
Calgary police said its public health compliance team would respond to calls about violations of those new restrictions. The police service has also redeployed school resource officers to its patrol units to “enhance our response to COVID-19 enforcement,” spokesman Corwin Odland said.
“We will make every effort to play our part in enforcement, however, our primary objective is to ask for voluntary compliance and to educate the public and business owners on the restrictions,” Odland said in a statement. “We know everyone is struggling right now and we will use discretion as we do in many aspects of our job.”
The province's new targeted restrictions also include several aimed at restaurants, pubs and lounges. Only people from the same immediate household may sit at the same table, to a maximum of six diners. People who live alone may dine with up to two non-household contacts.
AHS has seen an increase in Covid-19-related complaints and requests, rising from around 800 per week in September to an average of 1,400 per week in November.
As of Thursday, AHS had received 41,368 Covid-19-related complaints overall, it said.
To address the increase, AHS has hired 14 more public health inspectors on a temporary basis and extended temporary employment for 13 others. Nearly 270 inspectors, tasked with responding to complaints about businesses failing to comply with COVID-19 protocols, are currently on staff.
“In such instances, the inspector carries out an education or advisory role as an initial step when responding, outlining what is required and the risks associated with the activities,” AHS said in a statement.
“Where there are outstanding critical violations and a risk of COVID-19 transmission or burden to the health system is present, AHS public health inspectors, empowered under the Public Health Act, can conduct enforcement activities specific to facilities not obeying guidelines set by the chief medical officer of health including an absence of appropriate safety measures, or repeated refusal to put measures in place.”
As of Thursday, AHS inspectors had issued 102 orders related to COVID-19. Of those, 84 have been rescinded.