WRPS Response to New Provincial COVID-19 Regulations

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 stop the rapid growth of COVID-19 case rates.

It also announced enhanced enforcement measures for provincial offences officers, including police officers, under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).

The Waterloo Regional Police Service will review the new regulations to determine the most appropriate enforcement response for citizens of Waterloo Region. However, at this time, our current enforcement response will remain the same – with a focus on the 4 Es – Engage (with the individual), Explain (why we are there), Educate (on the rules and regulations), and Enforce (as a last resort).

We will not be conducting random vehicle or individual stops. As before, our initiatives will be both complaint driven or proactive, with the goal of gaining compliance. Those that refuse to comply will receive the appropriate penalty.

It’s vital that we all take this pandemic seriously and do what is needed – stay home and practice public health guidelines. This is about doing YOUR part, doing the right thing so we can all get through this and return to some type of normal.

Throughout the pandemic, our members have continued to come to work each and every day to serve the community – to ensure you are kept safe and well. We thank them – and we thank you for taking these orders seriously, for staying home, for showing that you, too, want to help the community get through these challenging times. Let’s do this together, Waterloo Region.