LaSalle Police Service is shifting to enforcement when it comes to COVID-19 rules.
As of Friday morning, Windsor-Essex remains in the Orange Restrict level, which places clear guidelines on gatherings and mask use during the pandemic.
After nine months of living with COVID-19 restrictions, Constable Terry Seguin says the time for education is over.
"Investigate all the violations of any legislation related to COVID-19 enacted by Federal, provincial or local governments including orders made by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit," he says. "If sufficient grounds exist, and they must exist, we will pursue charges."
Seguin says ignorance of the rules can't be used as an excuse any longer.
"Federal, provincial, municipal and the health unit have been putting out the same message over and over, so we've had nine months to absorb these messages and rules we're all supposed to follow," he added.
He's asking the public to think of others and stay the course.
"Unfortunately over time we all get complacent, but we can't. We can't let our guard down at this point," he says. "We have to keep our guard up and we have to follow the rules and guidelines in an effort to keep our communities healthy and safe."
Seguin says officers will always educate the public when possible, but if a violation of the Reopening Ontario Act is called in moving forward, a full investigation will be launched.