At the height of the first wave, our police officers responded to an average of 9,000 calls a week, including one-third relating to COVID-19. In this respect, a significant rise in the number of crowd control operations due to the pandemic was observed, in particular as a result of the intensified presence of police officers in parks and public places tasked with monitoring compliance with social distancing measures.
After the lifting of the lockdown in the summer, the high number of gatherings and the constant rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases led to the need for an increased police presence. Police officers used various ways to gain easier access to some public places. Police foot, bike and even horse patrols have increased, depending on the circumstances, especially along the Lachine canal and in several city parks.
It is in this context that 60 police officers were trained by the Corporate Bike Section to help out their colleagues, whilst ensuring a significant presence in parks and large green spaces from the beginning of April to the end of June.
To support the directives issued by Public Health, police officers played a crucial role in enforcing applicable sanitary rules.
