BARRIE, ONT. -- Following Friday's announcement of enhanced powers being given to police to enforce the province's stay-at-home order, some forces in the Simcoe area amongst the latest to say their tactics won't be changing.
In a response to CTV News' inquiry, the Barrie Police Service said it will not be doing spot checks on individuals who are out of their homes.
Instead, it says it will continue to focus on what it calls the 4 'E's', engage, explain, educate and enforce.
As well, South Simcoe police put out a similar message on Saturday morning, with the chief saying he plans to closely review the new regulations once they are given by the province.
"Until we have a full understanding of the new Regulations we will continue to use discretion in our day to day interactions with members of the public and will not be conducting random vehicle or person stops," Chief Andrew Fletcher said in a statement. "Our initiatives will for the most part be complaint driven, with the goal of gaining compliance, and those that refuse to comply will receive the appropriate penalty."
The two police forces are the latest to push back against the new enforcement powers, given by the provincial government as part of its latest COVID-19 restrictions. Police now have the authority to legally stop people on the street and in vehicles, questioning why they aren't at home and asking for their home address.
The enhanced measures are part of the Ford government's effort to curb the spread of the latest wave of COVID-19.
