Montreal police received nearly 800 calls about COVID-19 lawbreakers

Over the past week, Montreal police were swarmed with close to 800 phone calls from citizens claiming COVID-19 protocols weren’t being followed.

The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) received 760 calls from neighbours and locals worried about Montrealers breaking public health guidelines during the week of January 11 to 17.

The SPVM says police officers issued 583 infractions, 353 of which were related to curfew violators.

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From now until February 8, anyone outside of their home from 8 pm to 5 am without a valid reason can be subject to infractions. It’s also still fineable in the province to gather indoors or outdoors with people outside your household (at any time), and businesses must function at a specific capacity relative to its size.

Police throughout the province have been told to “use their judgement to assess” situations when it comes to rule-breakers and curfew defiers, with fines ranging from $1,000 to $6,000.

Données #COVID19 | Du 11 au 17 janvier, le #SPVM a reçu 760 appels en lien avec l’application du décret de la Santé publique. Les policiers ont remis 583 constats ou RIG et, de ce nombre, 353 ont été émis pour le non-respect du couvre-feu. pic.twitter.com/nSKejWW3PC

— Police Montréal (@SPVM) January 18, 2021

Exceptions to curfew non-compliance are being made for people who have a note from their employers that prove they are supplying an essential service and for Quebecers buying medication outside of curfew hours (though a receipt is needed as proof).

Pet owners are permitted to walk their pets past 8 pm within a 1-kilometre radius from their home.

Grocery stores and depanneurs are required to close at 7:30 pm nightly to give people enough time to get home.

Montreal police did not comment on fine amounts of the 583 offences.