Engagement is first option to ensure people follow the rules
POLICE in south Wales are facing new challenges on how to enforce covid19 regulations.
Currently, in 11 counties in South Wales and 15 across the entire country, individuals are only allowed to leave their area with a reasonable excuse - which includes things like shopping for essentials, to travel to and from work and to seek medical attention.
In areas currently under a local lockdown, people are not allowed to form extended households and can only meet people they don’t live with outside.
Local lockdowns aside, some restrictions have been put in place for the whole of Wales as cases continue to rise - including mandatory face masks and a 10pm curfew on alcohol sales.
But given some areas have not been placed into a local lockdown - how are the regulations policed?
For example, Powys has not been placed into lockdown, meaning that two villages - geographically just a mile apart - now face radically different rules.
We asked Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis, of South Wales Police, how local lockdowns are being man
Qaged. With all of the South Wales Police area in local lockdowns, are you noticing a difference in how people in different areas are reacting to this? Especially in more populated areas like Cardiff and Swansea?
“I think we’ve seen a consistent response from all communities, in that people are in the main working really hard to support us and doing a great job in following the rules.
“I think it would be fair to say in more urban areas, perhaps Cardiff and Swansea, we see more of a night time economy so we have to put more emphasis in working with our partners to check that licenced premises are following the rules.
“But I wouldn’t say that people are behaving differently. Different communities have a different
Qconfiguration so we have to respond differently from a policing point of view.” There’s been quite a lot of criticism of the 10pm curfew, suggesting that it will mean a lot of people out on the streets at the same time or moving on to continue inside people’s homes - how would you respond to that?
“This was new to us and we weren’t quite sure how this would actually evolve. What we’ve seen is that people have got used to it very quickly. Licenced premises work to the regulations and it’s actually reduced the night time economy towards the end of the evening which is really important at the moment as it releases resources towards key areas of vulnerability.
“From our point of view, we do accept that it’s been challenging to understand but now it is in place it has been effective and it’s helped us to be able to manage during our peri
Qods of peak.
“But I do understand and do appreciate that this does have an impact on people’s lifestyle.” And how exactly is the 10pm curfew being policed? If it comes to 10pm and it’s clear that there’s a lot of people in the streets or moving their party to somebody’s home - especially perhaps with students coming to the area - how is that managed?
“We need to remember that current rules allow certain people to be outside if they are socially distanced, so a large crowd can actually be there and can be lawful.
“So what we do is we engage with people, we explain to people and we encourage people to follow rules and regulations.
“If they don’t then we move to the fourth phase which is enforcement. This is our least preferred option but if necessary we can issue fixed penalty tickets.
“What we tend to find is that people are very reasonable and when we are speaking to them we find they will work with us.
“There have been a limited number of house parties that we have attended and dealt with, and the consequence of this is that we record the details of people we engage with and should they come to our attention again then we will then consider moving to our enforce methods.
“The student population are a really valuable part of our community and I think we have to recognise the challenges of moving to a new area and the challenges that come with being a new student as well as the challenges of these rules.
“Universities and students themselves have been fantastic in understanding the rules. We have had some issues but no different to any other community.
“We tend to find that when we are reasonable
We need to remember that current rules allow certain people to be outside if they are socially distanced, so a large crowd can actually be there and can be lawful
and explain to people that very supportive.”
Q if they work with us and With local lockexplain that we can help to downs, how logistireduce the spread of the cally is it possible to virus and the effect on police people traveling people they tend to be over the borders into other areas? We’ve seen other forces employ road side checks - is that something you would or have considered? If not then why not?
“I think the first thing is that the majority of people within the south wales area are very clear about their geographic area - this really helps us. People are really clear about we are actually finding where the Vale of Glamorthat this has got quite a gan sits, people underhigh level of compliance stand that. and support so we’re
“We have powers under investing our resources the road traffic act to stop into the night time econvehicles for a number of omy, areas with high footreasons and we will fall and responding to engage with drivers and public concerns about speak to drivers as part of compliance.”
Q that to seek to try and During the last full understand their reason - lockdown, there and whether or not they seemed to be a much have a legitimate reason larger police presence - for travelling. both on foot patrols and
“At the moment we also on roads - how are don’t carry out road side these local lockdowns checks. That’s not to say being policed compared it’s wrong, we just find that to that? the means we are using at “We have an increased the moment is entirely number of officers workappropriate and suits the ing in terms of the night road network we have and time economy, the fantasthe way we operate from a tic support of volunteers, policing point of view. we’re working really close Other rural areas or fast with our partners in the roads might require differcouncils to provide addient policing tactics. tional enforcement in
“At the moment it’s not relation to enforceable something we’re considguidance for organisaering and not something tions. we feel we need to do at “We’ve got the same if the moment. not more officers out on
“Our emphasis is on the the streets at the moment greatest risk at the but I think what we have to moment to spreading the say is during the first virus, in relation to familphase of the coronavirus ial contact and friend conlockdown many people tact. were in full lockdown and
“Though we are carryweren’t travelling - so the ing out activity around our roads were much quieter border and the amount of and police were very evipeople travelling through dent and stood out.”
QIs there any proactive police strategy you could tell us about in managing this going forward?
“Our proactive policing strategy is based around the four Es. The first point is to engage, the second is to explain, the third is to encourage.
“Sometimes when we’re speaking to people who are breaking the rules this encourages them to work with us and modify their behaviour. Lastly we go to enforced activity.
“One of our regions visited 20 licenced premises in one night and that gave us a really good understanding of the level of support for the rules and regulations.
“One of my areas of hope is that businesses work with us, that businesses really focus on complying with coronavirus regulations and support Welsh Government.
“That will absolutely have an impact on reducing the virus but also take pressure off the police and allow us to spend time focusing on domestic abuse, knife crime and prevention of burglary, those things that are so important to the community.”
I think we’ve seen a consistent response from all communities, in that people are in the main working really hard to support us and doing a great job in following the rules - South Wales Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis