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NRPS have issued five provincial fines for violators of pandemic rules, says police chief

Officers are monitoring social media to catch wind of parties ahead of Halloween
NRPS police-car-2019
File Photo

The pandemic has not affected the level of work for Niagara Regional Police, who say that calls have remained at, or pre-pandemic levels for the past five months.

In an update to the Police Services Board on Thursday, police chief Bryan MacCulloch said that the force has been able to maintain its current level of service despite the wide societal impact of COVID-19.

‘To date, we have received 1,192 COVID-19 specific calls for service,’ chief Bryan MacCulloch said during the board meeting without specifying what they were about.

Two of the force’s members have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks and are currently self-isolating.

He also revealed that NRPS has issued five provincial offenses notices under the emergency orders that, among other things, restrict the size of gatherings under the emergency act.

Police have especially peeled their eyes on Thorold's sizeable student population, that despite most learning taking place online, has been roughly the same as a normal year according to the city.

MacCulloch said officers are monitoring social media and are patrolling in search of students going door-to-door in search of parties, which he said is likely to happen during Halloween.

"We keep our ear to the ground and monitor social media and do proactive work with our partners to address those concerns," said MacCulloch.

Since the school season started up again, Brock University has been paying for increased patrols in student-dense areas.