SASKATOON -- The Saskatoon Police Service continues to field complaints from the public about public health violations.
Thus far in the new year police received 72 complaints. Officers wrote four tickets, according to Chief Troy Cooper.
Last year police responded to 1,352 complaints regarding public health orders and issued 15 tickets.
Of those tickets, several were issued in relation to a series of protests in Saskatoon criticizing the provincial government’s public health orders.
Chief Cooper said police did engage the public about the public health orders with regards to gathering sizes ahead of the protests and only issued tickets after investigations.
“We issued two tickets in November for protests that occurred around Midtown Plaza. We issued one ticket in early December for a protest at Kiwanis Park and we issued seven tickets in late December for a Kiwanis Park protest as well,” Cooper said.
Cooper added he has returned to full duties as police chief after self-isolating for two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19.
Cooper said across the entire police service, 19 staff including 17 police officers have tested positive while many others have self-isolated because of close contacts and possible exposures.
