Montreal police received 800 calls about COVID-19 rule-breakers over past week

Along with handing out 84 curfew violation infractions this past weekend, Montreal police were swarmed with 800 phone calls from citizens claiming COVID-19 protocols weren’t being followed.

According to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), the 800 calls were made during the week of January 4 to 10 from neighbours and locals worried about Montrealers breaking public health guidelines.

The SPVM says police officers issued 297 infractions, 185 of which were related to curfew violators.

• See also:
  • Quebec police issued more than 200 tickets to non-curfew compliers over weekend
  • 60% of Canadians now “willing and ready” for COVID-19 vaccine: poll
  • Canadian passport ranked one of the most powerful in the world

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 4 au 10 janvier, le #SPVM a reçu 800 appels en lien avec l’application du décret de la Santé publique. Les policiers ont remis 297 constats ou RIG et, de ce nombre, 185 ont été émis pour le non-respect du couvre-feu. pic.twitter.com/iVW8m6G66j

— Police Montréal (@SPVM) January 11, 2021

Quebec City police say 31 curfew infractions were issued at the province’s capital while officers from the Sûreté du Québec — the patrollers of provincial highways — handed out over 150 curfew non-complier tickets over the weekend.

Last week, Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, said there would be an “increased police presence” throughout the province, and said, “it’s the responsibility of Quebecers to show police they have a good reason to be outside their house between 8 pm and 5 am.”

Exceptions 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 297 offences.