Halton Police to Join Earth Hour in Non-Essential Areas

From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 27th, the Halton Regional Police Service will join Halton Region and other municipalities to turn off lights for an hour in non-essential, non-emergency administrative areas. Public safety and police emergency response services will not be compromised or affected in any way.

“As in previous years, we will once again demonstrate our commitment to Earth Hour to fight climate change, with a focus on administrative areas where there will be no impact on our 24/7 police operations,” said Chief Gary Crowell, adding, “Police patrol and response will not be impacted, and public safety will not be compromised.”

Areas which will continue operating business as usual include the Service’s 9-1-1 Operations, Communications, and District Station front desks, as well as other essential police facilities. Non-essential administrative areas will be dark for the hour.

The Service does not anticipate Earth Hour will result in any increase in public safety risks, any more than those presented by a short duration power outage or at night when people retire for the evening.

Although participation in Earth Hour is a personal decision, the Service is also encouraging all its employees and their families to join in wherever feasible at home, as well as at work.

Earth Hour is a global initiative led by the World Wildlife Fund, in which cities, communities and individuals turn off their lights for one hour to symbolize their commitment to fighting climate change. The Halton Regional Police Service is joining Halton Region, and its communities including Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills in participating in this important event.

The inaugural Earth Hour took place in Sydney, Australia on March 31, 2007. In 2009, millions of people in 88 countries took part and Halton Region alone saw an 11% decrease in energy consumption during Earth Hour. In 2010, participation is expected to grow again as Earth Hour activities will be observed in a record 188 countries.

For more information about the HRPS, visit www.haltonpolice.ca. For more information about Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.

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