Windsor Police Say They Won’t Randomly Stop People To Ask Why They’re Not Staying Home

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Windsor Police won’t be randomly stopping people or vehicles to ask why they aren’t at home under the province’s stay-at-home order, the department announced Saturday morning.

The province announced Friday that police would be given additional powers to stop people or vehicles to inquire why they are not at home.

They said effective Saturday, April 17th, 2021 at 12:01am, police officers and other provincial offences officers “will have the authority to require any individual to provide their home address and purpose for not being at their residence.”

Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said police would have the authority to stop people, including in vehicles, to question why they are not at home.

“It allows police officers to ask a person why they are not at their place of residence and what their place of residence is,” Jones said. “If you are not willing to comply, then you are breaking the law, and there is the option for police officer to issue a ticket.

Jones noted the fine was set at $750 for those violating the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

But Windsor Police do not plan to conduct random stops and checks of vehicles and people, the department announced Saturday morning.

New enforcement measures were announced yesterday regarding the Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders,” Windsor Police said in a twitter post. “Officers will not be randomly stopping people or vehicles.”

2/2 Officers will not be randomly stopping people or vehicles. We all need to do our part for the health and safety of our community. Everyone has a role and a responsibility to keep our City safe. Stay home and do not gather with people outside your household.

— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) April 17, 2021

“The Windsor Police Service will continue to focus on engaging the community, educating the public, and enforcing the Order, in a fair and unbiased manner,” they said. “We all need to do our part for the health and safety of our community. Everyone has a role and a responsibility to keep our City safe. Stay home and do not gather with people outside your household.”

Windsor Police joins Waterloo Regional Police, Toronto Police, and a growing number of other police agencies who say they will not stop people at random to inquire why they are not at home.