Over the weekend that led into St. Patrick’s Day, officers from our Central Community Response Unit (CRU) in partnership with Liquor Inspectors from the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) attended local licensed liquor establishments to provide education and conduct compliance inspections pertaining to the Liquor License and Control Act. The focus was on education, compliance inspections and enforcement.

On March 14, 2025, officers attended 23 licensed liquor establishments to serve the notification letter and provide education pertaining to the Liquor License and Control Act, particularly, the “Big 5” violations GSPS and the AGCO wished to proactively deter leading into St. Patrick’s Day:

  • Serving minors
  • Serving intoxicated patrons
  • Overcrowding
  • Allowing violent, unruly or disorderly behaviour/illegal drugs
  • Serving after hours

The information provided was well received, and GSPS/AGCO presence was anticipated by the establishments.

After educating local businesses, members of CRU and the AGCO attended a total of 42 local licensed liquor establishments to conduct compliance inspections.

In total, approximately 2,100 community members were present.

Members of the CRU and the AGCO identified and intervened in two open container infractions, one overcrowded establishment, three incidents of overservice and one permit-related issue where liquor was being served where it was not authorized.

On Friday, March 14, 2025, following the compliance inspections in the downtown core, members of CRU witnessed a vehicle being driven in a dangerous manner, travelling the wrong way down Larch Street, followed by a burnout/drift while turning onto Elgin Street.

Officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested and charged the driver for Impaired Operation, Dangerous Operation, Stunt Driving and additional HTA offences.

That same night, officers attended and intervened in a disturbance outside of an establishment on Cedar Street where they were able to resolve the disturbance in a peaceful manner.

On Sunday, March 16, 2025, members of the CRU dedicated their shift to Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension while in plain clothes.

In total, officers conducted seven Bail Compliance checks resulting in two Warrant Requests for Failure to Comply with a Release Order and arrested six people on outstanding warrants in the downtown core.

The Community Response Unit is dedicated to prevention and risk intervention through the Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension Program, with a strong focus on violent and high-risk offenders. This program plays a critical role in preventing crime, victimization, and re-victimization by holding offenders accountable for their actions. We will continue to allocate resources to ensure strict adherence to court-ordered conditions and the prompt execution of arrest warrants for those breaching judicial orders. This proactive approach underscores the importance of accountability in reducing risks to our community.

The Bail Compliance and Warrant Apprehension Program is funded by the Ontario government.

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