From March 1, 2020, to November 30, 2020, the Saskatchewan RCMP have received a total of 3,300 COVID-related calls for service. Of these, 49 have resulted in charges.
The vast majority of COVID-related calls for service were resolved by educating individuals about the Public Health Orders (PHO) in place and the potential health and enforcement consequences that can result from non-compliance with the PHO.
“As police officers, we are responsible for ensuring our actions do not put others at risk while doing our part to slow the spread of the virus. We need you to do the same and this starts by following and familiarizing yourself with the PHOs,” said the RCMP in a news release.
Calls for service and charges for the month of November
From November 1 to 30, 2020, Saskatchewan RCMP have received 342 COVID-related calls for service:
• 128 complaints of individuals not self-isolating;
• 92 large gathering complaints;
• 20 masking complaints;
• 14 traveller check complaints; and
• 88 other COVID-related complaints.
Of these calls for service, police have charged seven individuals under the Province’s Public Health Orders for contravening Sec. 61 of The Public Health Act, 1994. The location of the charges are identified in accordance with the provincial government’s COVID-19 map, which provides detailed information on the location of cases across Saskatchewan divided into 13 zones.
• Four charges to individuals not self-isolating despite being advised to do so by local health authorities. These charges occurred in the following zones: Far North West, North Central (x2), and Far North Central.
• Three charges to individuals for large gatherings. These charges occurred in the following zones: Far North East, Far North Central and Far North West.
Each charge is a Summary Offence Ticket Information (SOTI), under a Provincial Statute. These charges are not a criminal offence. For this reason, the names of the individuals charged will not be released.
Saskatchewan RCMP’s commitment to keeping communities safe and healthy
As Saskatchewan’s provincial police force, the RCMP stated that they will continue to be present in communities to provide services and ensure community safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will also continue to work closely with Saskatchewan Health Authorities to investigate calls for service that violate the PHO to help maintain public health and safety.
To support the steps communities are taking to reduce the spread of COVID-19, detachments in areas with an increased number of positive COVID-19 cases may temporarily restrict public access to the detachment to emergency requests for service only. As a result, people are encouraged to phone their local detachment prior to visiting in person to determine if any changes are taking place.
