Despite reports of individuals climbing construction equipment and trespassers at Gord Downie Pier, this year’s first weekend of orientation saw a decrease in fines handed out.
Last weekend, the Kingston Police handed out out 119 tickets, two for public intoxication, three court summons, six for underage drinking, 78 for open liquor containers, and 30 for other miscellaneous charges.
In comparison, last year there were four charges for public intoxication, 24 for underage drinking, and 295 for open liquor.
READ MORE: Charges skyrocket during Queen’s orientation week
In a statement to The Journal, Kingston Police outlined a couple of incidents that took place throughout the weekend. “Over the weekend, there were reports of people trespassing at the Gord Downie Pier after it was closed. As well, there was content posted on social media showing people climbing on construction equipment inside a fenced off construction site,” the statement said.
Kingston Police emphasized their main priority is keeping the peace and upholding the law. “Our focus is on public safety and ensuring that if gatherings occur, they are peaceful, lawful and safe.”
During Queen’s high-volume weekends such as orientation week, Homecoming, and St. Patrick’s Day, the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI) is put into effect to help deal with the increased volume of people. Some of the UDSI changes include an increase in police presence and stricter enforcement of local bylaws and nuisance parties.
To help students deal with the increase in officer presence, the Social Issues Commission (SIC) offers the Know Your Rights Campaign. The Commissioner of Social Issues (Internal), Jana Amer, HealthSci ’26, spoke with The Journal about the program, highlighting what it aims to do and its benefits.
“The Know Your Rights Campaign was designed to inform and empower students by educating them about their legal rights during times that there’s increased interactions with law enforcement and they’re more heavily regulated,” Amer said in an interview with The Journal.
Amer stressed that some of the biggest things students should keep in mind is that you have the right to remain silent, the only things you must provide are your real name, address, and date of birth. Amer wants to remind students they have the right to record officers as long as they’re not interfering with an investigation.
The campaign also aims at dispelling various myths surrounding the law, including one that many people she spoke with were misinformed about.
Amer recalls that during her research, many of her friends believed you could give police officers a fake name, which is not true, noting you’ll be fined if they find out.
If your rights are being violated, there are ways to deal with the situation, Amer explained. Whether this be a less formal complaint by speaking directly to a supervisor at the police station or a formal complaint with the Ontario Office of Independent Police Review Director.
Tags
Kingston Police, orientation, UDSI
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