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Perth and Kinross Local Area Commanders Bulletin Wednesday 1st April 2020
Public thanked for complying with stay at home instruction
Police Scotland has thanked members of the public and businesses for complying with a new law designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Officers were given the power on Friday, 27 March, to fine people who refuse to stay at home and only go outside if they have a ‘reasonable excuse’.
Police Scotland issued around 20 Fixed Penalty Notices over the weekend but none were issued in Perth & Kinross where the public was very supportive of police engagement and the advice provided.
Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “We’ve had high visibility patrols in place right across the country since we were given these enforcement powers.
“But it’s clear that the vast majority of people are complying with the measures. They know the message is to stay at home, and by and large, they’re doing that.
“Where our officers have encountered people outside, they’ve been able to engage with them or educate them on why it’s so important to follow the guidance from our public health experts in order to save lives and protect the NHS.
“There will always be people who refuse to comply, but the low number of penalty notices shows they are in the minority and in those cases we’ve had to use enforcement as a last resort. This is a big change to the way people live their lives and they need to adjust to that.
“There were issues with people driving to some outdoor spaces such as parks and we will address this, working with our partners in local authorities where appropriate.
“We have been given extraordinary powers in an extraordinary situation, powers we would not normally wish to have, but I’d like to thank the public for helping and supporting us. We police with the consent of the communities we serve, so a positive relationship with those communities is of huge importance to us.”
To enforce social distancing, people in Scotland are being asked to stay at home and only go outside if they have a ‘reasonable excuse’. These include shopping for necessary food, household and medical supplies, travelling to and from work where working from home is not an option, and daily exercise that adheres to social distancing guidance.
I have instructed my officers to follow the national guidance when it comes to enforcement. This means they will follow a common sense approach defined by the ‘Four E’s’ – Engage, Explain, Encourage and Enforce
Engage – Officers will initially encourage voluntary compliance
Explain – Officers will stress the risks to the public health and to the NHS and educate people about the risks and the wider social factors
Encourage – officers will seek compliance and emphasise the benefits to the NHS by staying home, how this can save lives and reduce risk for more vulnerable members of society
Enforce – officers will direct individuals to return to the place where they live and may issue a fixed penalty notice if deemed necessary
Police Scotland can issue penalty notices of £60, reducing to £30 if paid within 28 days, where they have reason to believe there has been an offence under the regulations. These penalties are doubled for each repeat offence up to a £960 cap, with no reduction for early payment. Due to the exceptional nature of these powers, the regulations will be reviewed at least every 21 days to ensure they are still necessary.
I would once again like to thank you for your patience and understanding at this time.
Regards,
Ian Scott.
Chief Inspector
Local Area Commander
Perth and Kinross
FURTHER INFORMATION AND INTERNET LINKS
As we receive reports of crime, the information is shared on https://www.pkcommunitywatch.co.uk/
I would encourage you to sign up for notifications.
Guidance on how to protect your property is available via Community Watch as well as on the Police Scotland Website, just click or copy and paste the following links:-
http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/home-and-p…/secure-your-home
http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/secure-your-garden-and-outb…
http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/home-and-person…/rural-crime
http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/ho…/keep-your-bicycle-secure
Guidance on how to deal with and report bogus callers can be found on the Police Scotland website – http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/doorstep-crime-and-bogus-ca…
For information on vehicle and personal property security please go to the Police Scotland website page; just click or copy and paste the following links:-
http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/home-and-pe…/secure-your-car
http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/home-…/secure-your-valuables
Keep up to date with everything we are doing and all appeals by visiting the following sites:-
https://twitter.com/policescotland
https://www.facebook.com/PoliceScotland
http://www.scotland.police.uk/
http://www.pkcommunitywatch.co.uk/
Your Community Policing Teams;
SOUTH
PI Craig Stephen
Strathearn
Strathallan
Almond & Earn
Kinross-shire
Community Sergeants
CRIEFF/COMRIE – Sgt Willie Ross
If you wish to make contact with any of these officers please use the following e-mail addresses:
South
TaysideStrathearnCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk
Message Sent By
Shirley Duff (Police Scotland, Public Enquiry & Support Assistant, Highland Perthshire)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]