Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston and Cornwall… Police services across Ontario state they will not make random pedestrian or vehicle stops

Cornwall, ON – On April 16, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced new restrictions, including a two-week extension of the current province-wide shutdown, in order to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases across the province.

Also announced, were additional enforcement measures for police officers and provincial offences officers under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA).

The new regulations will be reviewed by the Cornwall Police Service (CPS). As always, the CPS prides itself on interacting with members of our community in a fair and unbiased manner. Our response to the new regulations will be to continue to protect our community through education, engagement and enforcement.

Members of the CPS will not be conducting random pedestrian or vehicle stops. We will continue to respond to complaints on a calls-for-service basis, using officer discretion, with the objective of gaining compliance.

“With our health care system in a critical state, we all must do our part in order to limit the spread of COVID-19,” said Chief of Police, Danny Aikman. “The Cornwall Police Service will continue to uphold the law through a means of education, engagement and enforcement for anyone who refuses to comply with the necessary measures.”

“We recognize that these are challenging times and we thank our community for their continued compliance,” added Chief Aikman. “Throughout the pandemic, many residents of the City of Cornwall have continued to stay home, follow the public health directions, and assisted our police service by complying with changes to legislation.”

If you require further information on the new provincial restrictions, the CPS is requesting all inquiries please be directed to the Provincial Government news release. We kindly ask that CPS phone lines remain open for requests for calls for service and emergencies.  

We would like to thank our community for their patience and cooperation as we work through these changes together, with the intent of combatting the challenges posed by COVID-19.