New directive allows officers to ID children in public gathering, Peel police say after incident

 

Ontario police may ID children if they are seen participating in a public gathering as part of the new anti-COVID measures announced by the province, Peel Regional Police have stated.

Members of the police force are currently investigating an incident in Gravenhurst, Ont. after a video surfaced online Sunday that appeared to show an OPP officer physically confronting a younger boy on a scooter in a skate park.

The video, which has since been viewed more than 7,000 times on Instagram, shows several young people hurrying away on scooters from the skate park. One of them can be heard saying “they’re asking for IDs” in reference to two uniformed OPP officers standing near a young boy.

Police spokespeople have not confirmed whether the officers in the video were asking the children for their IDs.

The new measures would allow police to stop and ID people who officers have reason to believe are participating in an “organized public event or social gathering.”  According to the new rules, public gatherings are now prohibited unless they are between members of the same household, or between two households in situations where people live alone.

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