Police expect increased calls about gatherings and parties

Saskatoon police have made changes to their operations to help “flatten the curve” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The service centre in the lobby of police headquarters is closed. Members of the public are asked to report non-emergency situations online or through the non-emergency telephone line.

The amount of fingerprinting done in the building has also been reduced. Support and non-essential staff are working from home.

On Wednesday, Chief Troy Cooper held his first media update via Skype.

Here are some of the topics he addressed:

FRONT-LINE ENFORCEMENT

Police are looking at other ways to gather information for “lower priority” calls that do not involve emergencies, Cooper said.

In these cases, officers could take information over the phone or ask people to report minor offences online. Police have also asked the traffic unit and other sections, such as the community liaisons, to join front-line enforcement. Cooper said this helps ensure staff can be cycled off-duty, and addresses concerns about isolation or staff shortages.

REDUCED TRAINING AND TRAVEL BY OFFICERS

“We’re healthy and we have a stable plan to be able to consistently be available for any frontline issues, regardless of what we see happening with COVID in our community,” Cooper said.

POLICE PATROLS

Cooper said patrols are focused on the most serious offences and police have adjusted the focus of enforcement activities.

He said they’ve seen a need for more police presence around businesses that would normally have employees, customers or cleaning staff around during the day, some of which are now closed.

Where people are located throughout the day has also shifted, he said.

More people are at home and fewer are on the roadways, so staff levels have been shifted to take this into account.

A post on the official Saskatoon police Facebook page says patrol officers will continue to patrol in pairs, but each partner will use a separate vehicle.

COMPLIANCE WITH QUARANTINES/ISOLATION

The provincial government is expected to give more information this week about breaches of public health orders, offences and a reporting system for the public, Cooper said.

For now, when police receive complaints about public health order breaches, supervisors review them to determine the best response.

“If it’s something we can address through a phone call or email or a social media connection, then we’ll do that. If it’s something that we need to turn over to our public health partners, then we’d do that,” he said.

If a complaint is “egregious” and involves someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and isn’t isolating, police and public health officials will respond “immediately,” Cooper added.

Police have received “a number of those complaints” related to public health breaches, but they’ve had “100 per cent voluntary compliance” when officers have attended a scene, he said.

“This is a reminder I think, that this is a challenge for everyone and we’re all in it together,” he continued.

CALLS ABOUT GATHERINGS, PARTIES

Police have received calls related to gatherings in the city, and more are expected as time goes on, Cooper said.

“We do our best in those cases just to simply remind people of the legislation and the requirement under the Public Health Act not to gather,” he said.

“We have had compliance. We have only had a handful of those calls, but we expect they may increase.”