Chief hopes public will ‘do right thing’ after ban
Police chiefs in Bath have urged people to follow the new regulations as strict new lockdown laws come into force.
From the start of this week social gatherings of more than six people were banned – both indoors and outside.
Chief Constable Andy Marsh has now issued guidance on how Avon and Somerset Constabulary will be enforcing the new rules. He said: “The new law reducing the size of gatherings from 30 to six people is clear and I hope people will continue to abide by the regulations as diligently as they have done. I’ve been heartened by the response of our communities so far in tackling this dreadful virus but we must not become complacent; there is still more work for all of us to do.
“We’ll continue to be out engaging, explaining and encouraging people to do the right thing but, as we’ve always said, we will not be able to police our way out of this situation and we will use the enforcement available to us should we need to.
“Demand for our services is now getting back to expected levels after a fall at the start of lockdown, meaning we’ll have to prioritise our resources based on the threat, harm and risk each incident or report presents. Any group larger than six risks being dispersed by officers or fined for non-compliance but I hope it doesn’t come to that too often and people will work with us to ultimately protect themselves and others.”
In terms of enforcement, 150 people are to be summonsed to court for failing to pay fines issued for breaching Covid-19 regulations.
A total of 362 fixed penalty notices (FPN) have been issued across the Avon and Somerset force area since the regulations came into force in March.
The majority of people have paid their fines but more than 40 per cent of cases have been referred to magistrates as they remain unpaid after 28 days of being issued.
The chief constable said: “Throughout this pandemic we’ve always looked to engage with the public, explain the regulations and encourage them to act responsibly.
“We’ve never wanted to issue people with fines but there have been times, mainly when people have wilfully ignored our requests to do the right thing, when enforcement has been necessary.
“Everyone has a role to play in limiting the spread of Covid-19 but it’s clear there are a minority who, even after having been issued with an FPN, refuse to take responsibility for their actions which ultimately risks increasing infection rates. The regulations aren’t in place to punish people, they are there to save lives and anyone who refuses to pay a FPN issued for breaching coronavirus regulations can expect to end up in court.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens added: “Over the past few months I have been continually impressed by the determination and commitment of individuals, families and communities across Avon and Somerset who have made many sacrifices to reduce the spread of the virus.
“As the coronavirus regulations continue to fluctuate, it is inevitable that we will all continue to have questions and concerns in the coming weeks. I hope that this change in regulations brings clarity for our communities.
“The recent increase in cases is a stark reminder that we must all continue to be cautious, act with common sense and ensure that our sacrifices so far do not go to waste.
“I continue to be impressed by how officers have dealt with the policing of the pandemic and I fully support their approach to engage, explain, encourage and if neces
❝ I’ve been heartened by the response of our communities so far in tackling this dreadful virus
Chief Constable Andy Marsh