NEW POLICE TEAM TO TACKLE COVID BREACHES
GOVERNMENT GRANT OF £880,000 TO CRACK DOWN ON THOSE WHO FLOUT CORONAVIRUS LAWS
ADEDICATED police team has been set up to deal with breaches of Covid-19 rules across the force area.
The new Covid-19 team has been funded with cash from the Government during the pandemic.
The funding of £880,000 will also be used to fund electric bikes for officers when out on patrol and provide additional police cars with distinctive livery.
The aim of the team is to provide reassurance to those communities who adhere to the regulations as well as to crackdown on individuals who flout the rules and place their communities at greater risk of the virus.
The team will be able to react quickly to incidents called in by the public and patrol areas highlighted by partner agencies and force intelligence that presents a threat to public health.
Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Watson said: “We are fortunate the number of Covid-19 cases in the south west are not as high as some other parts of the UK, but they are rising and we cannot afford to be complacent.
“The national lockdown in March and April meant demand for non-Covid police matters dropped and it freed up resourcing for us to have more officers out on the streets, working with our communities to help defeat the virus.
“However, the situation is different six months on, as demand for police attendance has increased to pre-lockdown levels.
“Officers have responded magnificently, but combining traditional policing priorities with additional Covid-19 work is a challenge for forces across the country.
“By creating this dedicated team, it will enable those officers to concentrate on dealing with reports coming in and proactively police areas where problems have previously occurred.”
Response and neighbourhood officers will continue to enforce Covid-19 rules where necessary.
The new team will allow the force to maintain a high level of service in the run-up to Christmas, seven days a week.
A police spokesman added: “We already have dedicated resources in the control room and in our communities across the force who will respond to the breaches of Covid-19 regulations reported to police, either online or via 101.
“They also have the flexibility to respond across the force to the areas of greatest threat, reported to us from the public, identified through our wider data and intelligence review or reported to us by our partner agencies in our force area.
Ms Watson said: “Our approach to policing Covid-19 breaches and issuing fines will not change.
“This team will continue to use our 4Es strategy to engage, explain and encourage people to following the guidance and adhere to the legislation when out and about.
“Enforcement remains our last resort, however we’re six months into this pandemic now and officers will issue fixed penalty notices when people refuse to comply or blatantly breach the regulations.
“We’re grateful the overwhelming majority of people recognise the seriousness of the situation and are playing their part by complying with the restrictions.
“We want to continue working with our communities over what is likely to be a testing few months for everyone.”
Since lockdown was introduced in March, Avon and Somerset Police have issued 413 fixed penalty notices, including 37 since the start of October.
Police and local councils will continue to coordinate enforcement action depending who has the most appropriate power to deal with the breach.
We are fortunate the number of Covid-19 cases in the south west are not as high as some other parts of the UK, but they are rising and we cannot afford to be complacent Asst Chief Constable Nikki Watson