It is business as usual for the OPP during the COVID-19 pandemic, with measures in place to ensure the health and safety for all of the community, said Huntsville OPP media relations officer, Lynda Cranney. “That is the top priority for everyone, including ourselves. That is paramount.”
However, that was not the experience two Utterson seniors had recently when they were pulled over on Hwy 11 for having a licence plate sticker on the wrong plate of their pickup truck.
Terri Howell and her husband Kim were out to pick up essentials when they were pulled over on April 6. “The officer did not put social distancing into effect,” she wrote in a letter to MPP Norm Miller that she also forwarded to Huntsville Doppler. “And my husband, trapped in his truck was mere feet from the guy’s mouth.”
Howell said that she and her husband had been socially isolating for 24 days and through this interaction were potentially exposed to any virus he was carrying from his contact with other people.
“Instead of standing back and acknowledging that we should fix the sticker, he gave my husband a written warning,” Howell wrote. “More exposure to this officer’s germs.”
Howell added that they would be “placing ourselves in total lockdown for 14 days. We will not be going out to get groceries. All of a sudden we do not know if we have been exposed and that brings a whole new level of unnecessary anxiety to these two senior citizens.”
She asked Miller to “address this issue immediately so the government gives clear guidelines to the OPP to keep us all safe, including themselves. Protocols that are good for the average person should be used by our enforcement officers as well. We are all in this together.”
While Cranney could not comment on that specific situation as she was not present when it occurred, she said all officers have masks and gloves and sanitizing wipes in their patrol cars and these are to be used where practical. However, not all situations are practical and every situation is at the officer’s discretion. Making an arrest or entering a premise, it may not be practical for the officer to wear a mask, she said.
In the case of a pulling over a vehicle, it is the officer’s sense of smell that is often the first indication of an individual driving under the influence, and in that situation an officer must approach the driver’s window. “There may have to be some closeness,” Cranney said.
The OPP will continue to patrol and make traffic stops for all infractions of the law. While Service Ontario locations may be closed, licence plate and driver’s licence renewals can be made online. “Traffic stops will continue,” she said. “People should be staying at home with no unnecessary travel.”
As of today, no laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported within the Huntsville OPP detachment; on April 13, the OPP said that a member in the West Parry Sound Detachment had tested positive for the disease.
While the OPP as a group had not previously been included in the Province’s criteria for testing, on April 10 the provincial government said that it would be expanding COVID-19 testing, an announcement that included the proactive testing of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics.
Cranney added that the OPP are receiving different types of calls during the pandemic, including the public’s concern about public gatherings that should not be occurring—the Province has prohibited gatherings of more than five people. If it is not an emergency, the public can call *OPP (*677) on any mobile phone or call 1-800-310-1122 to report any concerns. The OPP has some additional COVID-19 information for the public here.
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Sham. Dowar says
Congrats to the opp officer for doing their job you did wrong and want to be in the right. If I was a senior I would have a mask and gloves on anytime I leave the house to protect my self and other. you can’t be upset that the opp is doing their job their just keeping out roads safe.
Ray Vowels says
As for renewing your stickers on line I tried that a few weeks ago did the whole thing and there is a lot of stuff to type in I got right to the end and went to give my credit card number and a sign popped up this site is unavailable try again later so now I have to go to service Ont. to renew my sticker just hope they are open not going to go thought all that crap again. If the site is down tell you that at the start not the finish.
Jim Sinclair says
I don’t mean to be paranoid, but if an OPP officer makes the decision that he needs to get closer than 6 feet when I’m in my car he is going to be talking through a closed and locked door and window. I will not allow my decision to be safe to be overruled by any police officer.
Nancy Long says
It’s unfortunate that the seniors were out in their truck with a sticker that didn’t match. The OPP have to do their job. Thank goodness the couple are going to self-isolate now.
Evert McIlwain says
Thank you to all the OPP
Travis Milmine says
Just like government – Trudeau going to his cottage when everyone else is told to stay home…..law enforcement will carry out any task as they see fit. Do as I say, not as I do.
Debbie Kirwin says
Sometimes it is just a connection. The form is easy and the info required is the same info needed when in person. Try again, it is worth it.
jim sinclair says
one prior message here says to wear a mask when out driving to protect yourself, The mask you are wearing, unless it is a proper N65 ? ( I forget the number designation) will not protect the driver from the OPP, rather it will only protect the officer. I am not against the officer doing their job, but make sure you are doing it right. If the officer want s to sniff for alcohol he can ask the driver to step out of the vehicle while he does his sniffing, but then to do it right, he must have reasonable grounds for asking . Look, we are ALL scared, and the more we can tolerate minor missteps without getting up in arms, the better off we will all be. I have never travelled this road before, and I will make up my own rules about what I will tolerate, and demanding a police officer keep his distance is one of my rules if I can’t move away myself. Police are human too and inasmuch as he might be working double shifts and be tired, a little leniency goes a long way. A sticker on the wrong plate can wait I would say. Yes, no?
Bess Coleman says
For sure the police should keep their distance, as should everyone. No one should be exposed over a sticker while shopping for essentials. Let’s hope this changes right away.
Bonnie Branton says
Thank you for being there OPP 👍
Could the officers don a mask if they are going to approach a driver? 😷
Perhaps they would even be able to sniff alcohol thru’ them also.
Let’s “Calm Down” – Taylor Swift
Jacquie Howell says
Hi Travis Interesting that you comment on Trudeau going to his cottage but do not mention that Scheer put his wife and 5 kids on a government plane and exposed 2 other people who expected to be self distancing as they were doing their civic duty Just a comment!