Incident on Collins Bay Pen grounds not an escaped convict or drone, says CSC

The Correctional Service Of Canada confirmed that an incident which prompted a heavy Kingston Police response to the grounds of Collins Bay Penitentiary on the night of Monday, November 12th was not an escaped convict nor suspicious drone activity.

At least eight Kingston Police units were called to attend the west-end Bath Rd property at around 9:20 p.m. Monday night. They joined several CSC units in cordoning off the entire Collins Bay Penitentiary perimeter on Bath and Front roads, and conducting a search within the area. Officers could be seen searching the area and surrounding ditches with flashlights and spotlights.

“(There was) a suspicious individual on the grounds that we asked Kingston Police to attend to ensure the safety of the institution,” said Acting Assistant Warden Heather Hyndman.  She did not elaborate on what was suspicious about the individual nor what would have prompted the significant response from Kingston Police, which at one point consisted of a police cruiser every 50-100 metres along the property line. Kingston Police did not provide comment on the incident.

Some citizens had speculated that a social media post on the Correctional Service Of Canada’s Facebook page asking citizens to report suspicious uses of UAVs (drones) in the vicinity of Collins Bay Penitentiary had offered some insight into the nature of the incident.

“We are asking for your assistance in detecting suspicious UAV activities, such as late night operations, hovering over a particular location for a period of time or carrying packages. If you believe UAVs are being used suspiciously around Collins Bay Institution, or any of the Kingston area correctional institutions, please call us immediately at 1-866-780-3784 (toll free),” the Tuesday morning post said. Hyndman, however, confirmed that despite the coincidental timing, the previous night’s incident did not involve any suspected drone activity.