Coronavirus: Police to toughen action against lockdown rule-breakers
Police will toughen punishment measures against lockdown rule-breakers after the home secretary told them to “strengthen enforcement”, the chair of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has said.
Martin Hewitt said those flouting the rules should expect stricter penalties, as England scrambles to contain a sharp spike in new infections.
“Not following the regulations and measures put in place to limit the spread of the virus is unacceptable. We won’t waste time with endless encouragement for those who knowingly or deliberately break the rules,” said Hewitt.
“People recklessly ignoring the regulations should expect to receive a fixed penalty notice.”
Secretary of state for justice Robert Buckland today supported the measures, warning that lockdown refuseniks should expect steeper penalties.
Buckland told BBC’s Today programme: “There will be increased fines for repeat offenders. I think the message has to go out very clearly that this will only work if we all play our part.”
He added: “The majority of people do brilliantly but we have to deal with that tiny minority who do not wish to support other people.”
Fines for breaking lockdown rules in England currently start at £200 and can rise to £10,000 for repeat offenders.
More than 20,000 fines have been issued in England and Wales since coronavirus restrictions were first introduced on 27 March, the NPCC said last week.
The policing body said £10,000 penalties had been issued 64 times in England and twice in Wales for people holding raves, house parties, and protests of more than 30 people.
It comes after home secretary Priti Patel yesterday told police chiefs to “strengthen enforcement”.
In a meeting with the National Policing Board, Patel said: “As our nation battles to suppress coronavirus I am acutely aware that we are asking more from our outstanding officers, and that they have been working flat out to keep people safe.
“But the Prime Minister has been clear that he wants to see tougher enforcement of the necessary restrictions in order to save lives.”
The home secretary added: “We have empowered and resourced you to do more, and we now need you to strengthen enforcement, and that the law-abiding majority are not endangered by those who flout the rules.”
Strict new rules are currently in force from today across England, including an order for all people to stay at home unless leaving the house for exercise, essential work, school, college or food shopping.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said there has so far been a “remarkable” level of compliance among the British public to social distancing measures, but warned that they will be in place for a long time.
It comes after police chiefs warned in an open letter yesterday that portions of the public appeared “incapable of demonstrating any civic responsibility” and that they would now “face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement”.
Senior officers from the northern regions of Cheshire, Cumbria, Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside said they were seeking support from the government to consider how they could rapidly bring to justice the “significant proportion” of people ignoring coronavirus-related fines.