More than 50 new year partiers ticketed in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines
No arrests made as a result of RIDE stops
A handful of people are starting the new year by facing impaired driving charges, and dozens have been fined for participating in large parties and gatherings that were broken up by police and bylaw staff.
Niagara Regional Police media relations officer said it was a “slow night” for the RIDE team, stopping 150 cars and issuing 10 roadside breath exams, all of which were passed by drivers.
Six tickets were given out, none of them related to COVID-19 protocols, said Const. Phil Gavin, adding that the only arrest made Dec. 31 during RIDE was based on a prohibited driving charge.
Outside of RIDE stops, there were five arrests for impaired driving made — three of them between 3:45 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Gavin did not have numbers for the entire region, but said in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines combined, more than 50 tickets related to the COVID-19 Reopening Act of Ontario were handed out, resulting in each individual being fined $880.
Officers partnered with bylaw staff in Niagara Falls and attended multiple short-term rental accommodations where parties and groups gathered.
Tickets were issued at “multiple locations,” said Gavin, noting that some of the parties remain under investigation.
Police in Niagara Falls stationed at hotels reported minimal issues, as hotel staff monitored and addressed COVID-19 issues “quickly,” he said.
There was notable congestion in the area of Clifton Hill, and many of the motorists officers spoke to were from outside of Niagara, Gavin said Friday.
On New Year’s Eve, the NRP traffic enforcement unit posted on social media that many out-of-town motorists were in the region to take in the Festival of Lights, unaware that the event was shut down Dec. 30.
On Facebook, the NRP said the several motorists who were stopped were on the road to pick up takeout food at local restaurants.
Earlier in the week, a planned bus trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls was investigated by Toronto police and the NRP.
It was cancelled by organizers, said Gavin.
Tickets were handed out at multiple house parties in St. Catharines, said Gavin.