Windsor police 'overwhelmed' with 911 calls for details about stay-home order
Windsor police say 911 lines are being bombarded by people calling looking for information regarding the provincial stay-at-home order that came into effect Thursday.
Since the stay-at-home order was announced Tuesday, Windsor police said they have received about 200 non-emergency and 911 calls related to COVID-19 and the new order.
"Any call to 911 that is not an emergency can take precious seconds away from a person trying to get through on 911 for a true emergency, where seconds may count for them," police said in an emailed statement to CBC News.
In a tweet on Friday morning, the police service said 911 is for emergencies only, and that information about COVID-19 can be obtained through dialling 211. Any COVID-related complaints can be made through 311.
The OPP says the provincial communications centre in London is also seeing an increase in 911 calls about the new pandemic measures.
The stay-at-home order that took effect overnight Thursday means that people are only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons such as buying groceries, picking up prescriptions or daily exercise.
The new measures have prompted questions about what exactly is illegal and how the new rules will be enforced across the province.
Under the new order, officers can order people attending gatherings to go home, close any building where they believe an illegal event is taking place, and ask for the name and address of anyone they think is committing an offence.
Charges can be laid through a ticket or summons to appear in court. The minimum fine for violating provincial gathering rules is $750.
Windsor police said in a statement Thursday they will be monitoring compliance.
The police service said community safety is the top priority, and officers will "strike a measured balance between enforcement and overall safety."
"As part of a collaborative public health and provincial wide safety strategy, Windsor Police Service officers will continue to be monitoring compliance and will support this strategy, and any orders, with enforcement actions as necessary under the legislation."
The police service hasn't provided detail on how their enforcement be conducted.
But there is criticism among advocates that the new rules are too ambiguous and racialized residents could be disproportionately targeted.
"It's a little dangerous and reckless to give police officers the power of determining whether or not someone's reasoning to leave their house is legitimate especially considering that we're in the middle of a pandemic," UWindsor student Fardova Kusow said in an interview Thursday.
