Police presence expected to continue as agencies set up near the border
February 24, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Fort Erie residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the near future along the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) near the Peace Bridge and in other parts of town such as the Niagara Parkway.
Last week, a press release was issued by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Niagara Regional Police, Niagara Parks Police, as well as the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) highlighting results from a two-day traffic and community safety initiative in the region that took place February 5 and 6.
OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt spoke with Fort Erie Radio and said statistics provided in the release cover all of Niagara and couldn’t be broken down into what charges and offences were handed out in Fort Erie.
As a result of this initiative, officers conducted 618 traffic stops that resulted in 285 provincial offence notices and 11 criminal charges in various parts of the peninsula.
But along the QEW near the border in Fort Erie, police have been set up more than just the two days mentioned in the news release, and it is likely this will continue.
“I wouldn’t say it’s daily, but we are certainly enhancing our patrols in strategic areas,” said Schmidt.
Asked if the heightened visibility has to do with the Canadian government’s response to U.S. president Donald Trump’s tariff threats, Schmidt said these types of enforcement efforts are something that occur “all the time” and that it is a chance to display how prepared police agencies on this side of the border can be.
“We want to showcase our resources and some of the partnerships we have already,” he said, adding that it’s “business as usual” with the increased police visibility.
He also said regular sightings of OPP and RCMP vehicles along the Niagara Parkway are part of the same initiative.
“You will certainly be seeing a bigger police presence in that area,” said Schmidt.
The RCMP have recently chartered two Black Hawk helicopters to patrol the Canadian-U.S. border. There have been sightings of them over Fort Erie as well.
The focus of the safety initiative earlier this month was to conduct criminal detection, high visibility patrols, targeted enforcement and public education on provincial highways and communities within Niagara, says the joint news release.
The initiative was supported by police canine units, MTO commercial vehicle inspectors and specialized enforcement officers focusing on both passenger and commercial traffic.
The use of the automatic licence plate recognition system led to the identification of a stolen vehicle.
Officers subsequently performed a traffic stop of the vehicle which resulted in the seizure of suspected drugs. The accused has been charged with several Criminal Code offences, including possession of stolen property, possession and trafficking of drugs as well as obstruction of a police officer, said the news release.
Police laid dozens of charges in other occurrences, including charges related to driving under suspension, driving without insurance and careless driving.
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About The Author
Kris Dubé
Kris is a veteran journalist who has worked in Niagara for close to 20 years. He is also a lifelong resident of Fort Erie, a place he plans to call home and raise his family for many more years.
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