Members of the LaSalle Police Service, working from Monday January 4th to Sunday January10th, were kept busy responding to 358 calls for service and activities including:

17 – Emergency 911 Calls
4 – Alarm
1 – Assist Ambulance
3 – Assist Other Police Service
1 – Bail Violation
3 – By-Law Complaints
1 – Crisis Intervention
48 – Directed Patrols
10 – Driving Complaints
1 – Impaired Driving Complaints
2 – Mental Health Act Matters
2 – Mischief Complaints
1 – Missing Persons Report
2 – Motor Vehicle Collisions
137 – Property Checks
6 – Suspicious Activity
1 – Thefts
2 – Threats Complaints
68 – Traffic Stops & Vehicle Checks
3 – Trespass Complaints
6 – COVID-19 related calls

Government of Ontario Declares Provincial Emergency Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA)
Effective as of 12:01 AM, January 14th, 2021, the Government on Ontario has declared a provincial emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act of Ontario (EMCPA) in relation to the increasing COVID-19 cases in the province.
As a result of declaring an emergency, additional legal requirements under the EMCPA and are set out in its associated regulations which are incumbent upon, and legally required, for every citizen to follow.
The new order requires individuals to remain in their place of residence at all times unless leaving for an essential purpose. Details of this can be found on the Government of Ontario’s website (Ontario Declares Second Provincial Emergency to Address COVID-19 Crisis and Save Lives)

This order is expected to remain in effect until February 11, 2021, but could be extended

The regulations under the EMCPA can be found here:
· O. Reg. 11/21: STAY-AT-HOME ORDER
· Guidelines for Declared Emergency Ontario

Orders made under the Reopening Ontario Act of Ontario (ROA) and its associated regulations, to which there have been additions, remain in force in along with the new orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
The regulations under the ROA can be found here:
· O. Reg. 82/20: RULES FOR AREAS IN STAGE 1
· O. Reg. 114/20: ENFORCEMENT OF ORDERS
While provincial offences officers, including police officers, have enforcement rights under the new EMCPA order, we will continue to focus on the 4 E’s – Engage (with the individuals), Explain (why we are there), Educate (on the rules and regulations), and Enforce (as a last resort).

Enforcement will be aimed at those individuals who overtly put others in danger in our community.

Ontario Regulation 114/20 (Enforcement of Orders) under the ROA and Section 2(1) of Ontario Regulation 8/21 under the EMCPA stipulates that all provincial offences officers who have reasonable grounds to believe that an individual has committed an offence under section 10.1(1) of the ROA or 7.0.11 of the (EMCPA) may require the individual to provide the officer with the individual’s correct name, date of birth and address. Individuals are legally required to promptly comply.

Our officers will not be conducting random vehicle or individual stops. Our initiatives will be both complaint-driven and proactive, with the goal of gaining compliance. Those that refuse to comply will receive the appropriate penalty.

We are asking people to comply for the well-being of everyone in our community and to ensure the capacity of our health care.
In relation to the new EMCPA order, individuals can either be:

•  Issued a ticket for a set fine amount established by the Chief Justice or be served with a summons (Part I)
•  Or have an information laid (Part III), where the court would impose a penalty upon conviction – subject to the maximum penalty of a fine or not more than $100,000 and not more than one year in jail.

• Fines include:
  – Fail to Comply with an order: $750
  – Obstruct any Person Exercising a Power in Accordance with an Order: $1,000
  – Obstruct any Person Performing a Duty in Accordance with an Order: $1,000

Charges can be laid through the issuance of a ticket (Minimum Fine – $750), or by way of a Summons at a later time/date.

The LaSalle Police Service supports all measures necessary to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community and will continue to work with local public health, municipal and regional officials to ensure compliance.

We recognize that this is a stressful time, with many people feeling a sense of uncertainty and instability within our community. We also recognize that there may be confusion over rules and legislation.

Our service has procedures in place to deal with internal situations of occupational exposure to communicable diseases and these policies are reviewed regularly so that we can respond to specific challenges such as COVID-19.

Members of our service will continue to perform their duties professionally and comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code or Canadian Charter of Rights, as well as all applicable regulations in Ontario’s Police Services Act.

The LaSalle Police Service remains committed to providing essential services throughout the community during this State of Emergency.