Compliance with health rules: no findings yet issued in Sherbrooke
Share September 14, 2020 7:30 p.m. Share Compliance with health regulations: no findings yet issued in Sherbrooke
René-Charles Quirion La Tribune Sherbrooke – No statement of offense has yet been issued in Sherbrooke under the new, more coercive measures concerning the wearing of face coverings adopted last weekend by the Government of Quebec.
Over the weekend, the Sherbrooke Police Department received 11 reports related to wearing a mask and physical distancing.
“An individual was denied access to a convenience store by the clerk because he was not wearing a mask. He left the scene. Once questioned by our agents, but there was no report issued, ”explains the spokesperson for the SPS, Isabelle Gendron.
She explains that the SPS patrollers have been instructed to exercise good judgment to go with a gradation in their interventions when they must intervene for this type of call.
As has been the case since the establishment of public health rules, awareness and information are given priority at first.
In the event of a refusal to comply or of a repeat offense, the police inform the recalcitrant of the penal consequences of the refusal to comply and that the fines can go up to $ 6,000.
It is only after these interventions that a statement of offense, usually of $ 1000, in a first case is given.
In a press briefing last week after the announcement of these more coercive measures by Prime Minister François Legault, the director of the SPS, Danny McConnell had mentioned that it was easy not to receive a statement of offense.
“What to respect remains fairly simple, namely to respect the two-meter rule and wear the mask when you cannot comply with it or inside public places. “
Since July 20, the SPS has intervened 79 times during rallies. Thirteen statements of offense were given during 45 interventions for non-compliance with wearing a face covering to the owners of the business which did not enforce the regulations.
The new decree allows police officers to deliver offense reports directly to individuals.
