No random police stops

The Ontario government has reportedly backed off on new powers for police officers allowing them to randomly stop anyone outside their homes to demand to know where they reside and why they are not there, given the province’s current COVID-19 “stay-at-home” order.

The new powers were announced Friday, as Ontario continues to see a dramatic increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases being discovered daily, as well as admissions to hospitals and Intensive Care Units because of the virus.

Soon after that, police services, including Aylmer and St. Thomas, stated that they would not conduct random stops in such a manner.

Saturday night, the provincial government said that the stops could only be conducted if an officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person being questioned was breaching COVID-19 restrictions.

The province had issued an order Friday as well ordering outdoor recreational facilities including golf courses, tennis courts, basketball courts and playground equipment to be closed.

Saturday, the government said outdoor playground equipment could remain open.