Kingston Police confirm four tickets issued to weekend partiers
Kingston Police have confirmed that four Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) notices were issued for bylaw offenses over the Labour Day long weekend.
“Offences can range from yelling and shouting to a nuisance party,” said Const. Ash Gutheinz, Media Relations Officer for Kingston Police. The fines associated with the tickets ranged from $100 to $500.
Kingston residents have raised concerns after dozens of seemingly crowded parties took place in the student district over the weekend, contrary to public health recommendations.
Since thousands of post-secondary students arrived in Kingston for the fall term, the City of Kingston has amended noise and nuisance party bylaws, instituted new rules for social distancing in City parks, and closed Gord Downie Pier. Kingston’s Medical Officer of Health also expressed dismay at the apparent lack of concern for COVID-19 prevention exhibited by some youth.
Queen’s University and public health have been preparing for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year since the spring. The university has instituted several measures to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak on campus, including moving classes online, reducing residence occupancy by 50 per cent, and pushing public health communication to the student population.
Despite efforts, downtown residents still reported seeing groups of young people partying in the streets between Friday Sept. 4 and Monday Sept. 7, 2020. Queen’s University professor Jeff Masuda said police appeared to be having friendly conversations with partying youths in his neighbourhood on Saturday night, and is calling on the authorities to do more.
Gutheinz said police are making efforts to resolve safety concerns around partying during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kingston Police is addressing the influx of students to the city by using a tiered response involving bylaw officers and police,” he said. “There has been an increased presence and added compliment of officers assigned to this as well as additional resources including special constables working alongside police officers.”