Police issue $5,000 fines to Scarborough Bluffs trespassers
Posted September 19, 2021 4:09 pm.
Last Updated September 19, 2021 5:52 pm.
Toronto police are cracking down on people trespassing onto the Scarborough Bluffs.
A video posted to social media on Saturday shows a police officer approaching a group of people and asking them to form a single line before informing them that they will be issued $5,000 tickets for trespassing.
“Once you get your ticket, then you’ll be released,” the officer is heard saying. “Because you can all be arrested right now because you’re trespassing.
“This is no joke,” he tells one of individuals before going on to explain just how unsafe it is for the group to be beyond the fences, which clearly sport signs warning against climbing the Bluffs.
In a statement to 680 NEWS, Toronto police say anyone found trespassing may be subject to a fine, adding there are numerous signs advising of the bylaw while underscoring the dangers posed by the cliff.
Earlier this summer the city scrapped plans to erect a 500 metre fence in an attempt to stop such behaviour after an outcry from local residents concerned it would negatively affect wildlife, decrease enjoyment of the park and ultimately fail to prevent people from climbing over the fence.
Toronto police and some city councillors have said more needs to be done as such incidents often leads to costly rescue operations. In 2018, the city says there were 18 such rescue efforts totaling 382 hours – time that could have been allocated elsewhere.
