Enforcement of stay-at-home rule will be ‘complaint driven’
$750 fines for not complying with provincial orders and not wearing masks in indoor public places; ‘It’s not going to be cautions,’ Chief Gilbert warns
Peterborough Police will be stepping up enforcement now that the Ontario government has issued stay-home orders in the COVID-19 pandemic, police announced Wednesday.
Ontario residents are required to stay at home starting Thursday, except for essential activities such as accessing health care or shopping for groceries.
People who do not comply with the stay-at-home order can be fined $750.
“We are asking residents to comply with the provincial orders,” Chief Scott Gilbert stated in a press release issued Wednesday, reiterating a comment he made Tuesday at a Peterborough Police Services Board meeting.
“Enforcement will take place and it’s not going to be cautions. Fines will be laid,” he stated, adding that ticketing will be “complaint driven.”
“If someone calls, we will follow up and if an officer sees an offence in progress they will proceed accordingly,” he stated.
Local police forces will be asked to enforce the stay-home rules, the Ontario government announced earlier this week.
Tickets of $750 can also be charged to people who are not wearing a mask indoors in places open to the public (with limited exceptions), the press release notes.
Retail operators can also be fined for not complying with the new measures, the release points out, which include restricting the hours of operation for non-essential retail stores such as hardware stores to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Furthermore police can temporarily close a premise and disperse people when gathering limits are exceeded (there’s now a five-person cap on outdoor gatherings, organized or not). Police can disperse people who are gathering, states the release, even in a public place that is open (such as a park).
People stopped by police will be required to provide their correct name, date of birth and address, the release states, though they won’t be asked to produce identification.
The release also outlines some of the protocols for the public to use when accessing police services, under the new lockdown measures:
Masks:
Anyone entering the Peterborough Police Service lobby must wear a face covering. Only two people will be allowed at a time.
> Online reporting:
Use the online reporting system on the police website to report non-emergency calls, when possible.
> Record checks:
Most record checks can be done online, though appointments are available for special cases. Freedom of Information requests must be done by appointment.
> Collision reporting:
People may be asked to wait in their vehicles.
> Custody exchanges:
If a formal court order exists, ensure both parties have a copy of the arrangement. If no order agreement exists, consider having your arrangement written down and signed by both parties and a copy available to each party so it can be presented to officers if necessary.