Many pandemic fines have yet to be paid, stats from Halifax police reveal
Nova Scotia may be opening up but Halifax Regional Police (HRP) are still receiving hundreds of COVID related calls.
This month alone, officers have responded to 500 calls for COVID-related issues.
"Even though it does sound like a significant number of calls, the calls for service we are having tend to be going down. They tend to follow those peaks and valleys that we see with COVID itself," said Const. John MacLeod, spokesperson for the police force.
Nova Scotia first declared a state of emergency last March. Since that time, HRP have issued 455 tickets under both the Health Protection and Emergency Management Acts.
MacLeod says the most common things people have been ticketed for include people not wearing masks when they're supposed to, failing to self-isolate or exceeding mandated gathering limits.
As of July 26, here is the breakdown for how many tickets have been issued under both the Health Protection and Emergency Management Acts in Nova Scotia.
Health Protection Act
Total number of tickets issued: 1059
- Quashed, withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: 135
- Pending: 697
- Person deceased: 3
- Paid in full: 153
- Partially paid: 12
- Not yet paid: 59
Emergency Management Act
Total number of tickets issued : 271
- Quashed, withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: 59
- Pending: 127
- Paid in full: 63
- Partially paid: 2
- Not yet paid: 20
"It is interesting the large number that have been either acquitted or withdrawn," said lawyer David Fraser.
"I would be looking for a better breakdown, how many people have been found innocent, that's what an acquittal is and how many circumstances have the Crown said we're not going to proceed with this."
Fraser says he would like to see more context to go with the numbers; like what were the exact offences and how many businesses have been charged.
"Where have these tickets been issued, what do the recipients look like?" said Fraser.
Additional information about the tickets issued has been requested. The Department of Justice says it should be available by the end of the week.
In New Brunswick, there were 866 pandemic related tickets issued between March 2020 and July 2021.
Of the 539 tickets were filed in provincial court, 339 resulted in a conviction, 71 were withdrawn and five resulted in an acquittal. There are still 124 tickets before the courts.
321 of the 339 convictions resulted in finestotalling$86,794.50.
Officials say of the 327 remaining tickets, most would have been paid without attending court while some would have been withdrawn.
In New Brunswick, the minimum fine was originally $292.50 before moving to $580.50.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.