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- Quashed, withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: 135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- Quashed, withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: 59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"It is interesting the large number that have been either acquitted or withdrawn," said lawyer David Fraser.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Of the 539 tickets were filed in provincial court, 339 resulted in a conviction, 71 were withdrawn and five resulted in an acquittal.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
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.