Toronto police push seriousness of lockdown
Authorities ready to issue citations to businesses, individuals defying order
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the province, interim Toronto Police Chief James Ramer is urging Toronto residents to abide by Ontario’s third stay-at-home order.
“I urge all Torontonians to please comply. Do not go out unless it’s for essential reasons only,” he said in a statement Saturday. “COVID-19 is a matter of public health, but it is also a matter of public safety. Everyone has a role and a responsibility to keep our communities safe.”
The emergency measures came into effect Thursday and compel people to stay at home for the next 28 days, unless they’re going out for groceries, exercise, medical appointments, or work that cannot be done remotely.
Police will focus enforcement efforts on restaurants and businesses that are not complying with closing orders or customer limits, according to a Toronto Police news release. They will also respond to complaint calls for gatherings and will disperse and ticket gatherings of more than five people outdoors.
“Officers can exercise their discretion in every situation but where there is evidence of noncompliance, they will issue tickets and summonses for individuals and businesses,” the release said.
Tickets will be issued under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and the Reopening of Ontario Act in partnership with the City of Toronto. Under these acts, there are two different types of charges — a person can be ticketed and choose to pay the set fine or a person can be summoned to appear in court with no set fine, depending on the circumstances of non-compliance.
Both acts do not give police the power to enter homes or stop a vehicle for the sole purpose of checking compliance with the stay-at-home order, the new release said.
Police said that when an officer has reasonable and probable grounds to suspect someone has violated one of the orders, they may ask a person to identify themselves in order to issue a ticket or a summons. If that person refuses to do so, they can be charged or arrested for obstructing a police officer, the news release said.