Police adjusting to enforcing new law, reduced crime amid pandemic

As concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic continue in Saskatchewan, Regina’s police service says it’s making the necessary adjustments to respond to public complaints. 

Chief Evan Bray spoke with Greg Morgan on Wednesday and noted the service now has received more than 100 calls from people reporting others who are disobeying a provincial order to stay home for 14 days if they’ve returned to Saskatchewan on an international flight.

“If we get a call from someone that their Aunt Agnes just got back from Phoenix and is shopping at Costco, that’s the type of call we’re getting,” Bray said. “We’re getting ahold of Agnes and we’re saying, ‘You need to go home, this is mandatory. You can’t run errands, you can’t go pick up a jug of milk. Someone will have to do that for you.’ ”

Bray said police have yet to make arrests or issue fines to people who have violated the newly created law, but said both options are possibilities.

“Ultimately, this is mandatory law,” he said. “It’s issued through the Emergency Planning Act and it’s a public health order, so it is enforceable and our police service has a role to play in that.”

For the time being, Bray said the police service is focused on tracking down the subjects of said complaints, to “help them understand the consequences from a health risk standpoint and an enforcement standpoint.”

He said the goal is to make them comply with the public health order. 

“This situation is one that the entire city is taking seriously and some people are a bit worried about people not following the provincial order that has been issued,” Bray said.

If police officers do enforce the law, the chief said offenders will get hit with a $2,000 fine and/or an obstruction criminal charge. 

To date, no charges have been laid and no businesses in the city have been found to be disobeying new public health orders issued by the province, he said. 

Bray said the police service is investigating complaints at the Co-op oil refinery that workers there haven’t self-isolated. 

So far, all police members are healthy and haven’t been infected by the virus, he said.

He asked the public to file complaints online or by phone with the police service.

The country- and city-wide emphasis on social distancing and staying home also has had an impact on crime stats in Regina, Bray said.

“It’s really positive …,” he said. “Some of those trending hot items we were seeing before — like theft from autos, theft from cars, mischief calls — those types of things have definitely dropped off.”

But the service is still dealing with stabbings, overdoses and crimes against the person on a regular basis, he said. 

RCMP hearing increased complaints over health order

The Saskatchewan RCMP also confirmed via news release that its members are hearing regular public complaints over people ignoring the new law requiring returned travellers to stay home.

“We are working closely with Saskatchewan Health Authorities to investigate calls for service that violate the (public health order),” the Mounties’ release said. “To date, there have been no charges, fines or arrests by the Saskatchewan RCMP for these matters since the PHO.

“We continue to work with Saskatchewan Public Health to determine the best course of action to ensure the safety of the public and our front-line officers.”