COVID bullies with a badge
the mob has become so powerful, it can dictate editorial policy. — smith
With Ontarians under a stayat-home order, Quebecers forced to abide by a curfew and those living in other provinces facing increased restrictions, it has become apparent that this country is not all that good at balancing public health restrictions with even the most basic freedoms. even in the midst of a crisis, there is something particularly unseemly about police stopping people on the streets and asking to see their papers, and neighbours snitching on each other because there are one too many cars in the driveway.
take the case of natasha Kohl. Like many parents, she needed a little support. not wanting to take her kids into the grocery store with her, the Simcoe, Ont., woman dropped them off at their grandparents’ house. yet this seemingly innocuous decision led to a confrontation with police, and a hefty fine.
Kohl claims she was pulled over and handed an $880 ticket after police saw her leave the house. “All the (police officer) said was they had a neighbour complain about a lot of traffic at the house and a possible party,” she told CTV news. “they had seen me leave, so they pulled me over to see if I lived at that address.”
Ontario’s regulations allow people to leave home for essential reasons, such as grocery shopping, accessing childcare and exercising. Law enforcement is also not supposed to harass people on the street or stop vehicles solely for the purpose of checking to see whether the province’s stay-at-home order is being complied with. But Kohl’s experience shows that some people are unnecessarily getting caught up in the public health regulations.
Perhaps it would have been better if she had ordered her groceries online, or found a time to go shopping when another member of her household could have watched the kids. But it doesn’t do anyone any good to impose such a steep fine on a mother of four who had to leave her job to care for her children.
And Kohl’s experience is not unique. There have been far too many stories throughout the country of officers handing out large fines or making arrests, not because people were hosting big gatherings or breaking quarantine, but because they were simply trying to get some exercise or make their way home from work.
People like Melissa Calhoun of Montreal, who had been in New Brunswick caring for her 77-year-old father with her husband and three children. They had done everything by the books, including receiving authorization from the New Brunswick government to enter the province. And when Quebec announced that schools would be reopening and a curfew was going to be imposed, they raced to get home before the 8 p.m. deadline.
yet, as anyone who has gone on a road trip with screaming children can understand, it took longer than expected. The family was pulled over two hours after the curfew went into effect and handed over $3,000 worth of tickets.
In another incident in Montreal, employees of a company that produces meal kits say they were fined while waiting for a bus shortly after their shift ended at 8 p.m. The company confirmed that they were carrying letters stating that they are essential workers, but this apparently didn’t matter to police, who ticketed them anyway.
In fact, there have been many reports of Quebecers being harassed by police or issued fines even though they had valid reasons for being out after dark. Last week alone, Montreal police issued 583 tickets and general infraction reports for violations of public health measures, including 353 curfew violations, which is starting to look more like a cash grab, rather than a legitimate means of keeping the public safe.
unfortunately, stories such as these have become commonplace throughout the pandemic — from bylaw officers in Toronto issuing tickets to people using playground equipment in public parks in the spring, to Calgary police drawing a Taser and tackling a 21-year-old man for playing hockey with his friends in december.
Governments have used this crisis to impose unprecedented restrictions on our personal liberties. In normal times, they would be egregious.
But these are not normal times. If one person doesn’t follow public health guidelines, many others can end up suffering the consequences.
I have therefore tried to give governments the benefit of the doubt. And the fact of the matter is that the lockdowns seem to be working. Quebec was reporting 3,000 cases a day earlier this month, but is now seeing around 1,500. Cases in Ontario also appear to have plateaued and are hopefully starting to decline. Alberta, too, had nearly 2,000 cases a day in early december, but reported 474 on Monday.
yet mere months after we had a national debate about the proper role of policing in our society, too many officers are proving themselves to be little more than overgrown bullies with a badge and a gun.
The Ontario government was criticized for making the latest round of health measures overly broad, but people’s lives are complicated and there is no way to spell out exactly how everyone should act in every situation. regulations have to be somewhat vague so they don’t end up penalizing, say, a woman who leaves her kids with their grandparents while she runs some errands.
That people who are just trying to take care of their families or put food on the table are getting caught up in these restrictions is likely more a problem with enforcement than the health measures themselves. Police need to realize that these are challenging times for everyone, and the vast majority of Canadians are likely doing their best to keep themselves and their communities safe.
Officers should only intervene when people are clearly engaging in very risky behaviours, such as hosting large indoor gatherings or going out in public when they’re sick. Leave those who are just making their way home after a day’s work or a trip to the grocery store alone.
in montreal, authorities Ticketed non-essential workers anyway.