Police in the northeast investigate hundreds of COVID complaints, but have laid only 28 charges

Hundreds of people in northeastern Ontario have noticed someone they feel is not following the COVID-19 rules and called police.

That has kept officers across the region busy over the last nine months.

"An additional 260 calls that we weren't anticipating nine months ago obviously increases the workload for our officers," says Lincoln Louttit, manager of corporate communications for Sault Ste. Marie police.

Of those calls, officers have issued four official warnings and written two $880 provincial offence tickets to people who were not self-isolating.

Greater Sudbury police have received 282 calls about pandemic-related offences, but have not laid any charges. 

Timmins Police have not written a ticket yet either, but have followed up on dozens of complaints.

"We've had to pivot our enforcement stance. Thankfully we've got a significant amount of compliance," says communications coordinator Marc Depatie, adding that at some house parties and pit parties in Timmins people "became very compliant once the police presence was on site."

In all, 28 pandemic-related fines have been issued by police in the northeast since March, most under the provincial Reopening Ontario Act or Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

Some $1,255 fines have also been issued under the federal Quarantine Act, usually when local police are directed by the Public Health Agency of Canada to follow up on someone who recently entered the country.

That has seen tickets given to an Alban man just back from Jamaica, an East Ferris man who had visited the United States and a couple from Florida who came up to their cottage near North Bay in the summer. 

North Bay police have investigated some 300 possible COVID infractions and written two tickets.

Constable John Schultz, the force's community safety coordinator, says they've used special constables to handle most of the pandemic complaints so as not to add to the workload of uniform officers.

One of the fines was given to a parent playing with their child in a playground in the spring, back when that was against the law.

"We've tried to educate people and we've given a lot of warnings, but eventually people know, but they choose not to follow the rules," says Schultz. 

Ontario Provincial Police in the northeast say after focusing on education in the first few months of the pandemic, they are now issuing more fines, up to 24 across the region so far.

"The public is well-versed in the fact that there are restrictions on public gatherings, so enforcement is becoming more the tool of preference than education," says media relations coordinator Sgt. Carlo Berardi.

Public health inspectors have also been fielding these calls and have the power to issue fines. 

Mike Park with Algoma Public Health says they have gone to dozens of local businesses and given some warnings, but have yet to write a ticket. 

"No one is, I think, being malicious in trying to avoid safety precautions. I think everyone is trying to do their part within our region," he says. 

Park says he sees his job as educating people about the COVID laws, especially since some of the restrictions have kept changing over the last nine months.

He says one recent change that many aren't aware of is restaurant employees are now required to wear eye protection when serving people who aren't wearing masks.