Enforcement of Covid-19 rules a ‘last resort’
Responding to the latest government guidelines Humberside Police have said they will use enforcement measures, but only as a last resort.
On Tuesday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that as of today, a series of new measures would become enforceable in England.
Shop workers will now have to wear face coverings, and pubs and restaurants must close by 10pm every night.
Additionally, office workers have now been instructed to work from home where possible, having previously been advised to return.
Police in England have the power to tell those not obeying the rules to disperse, or to fine them.
Fines for not wearing masks or for breaking other Covid-19 rules are now set to increase to £200, new restrictions state.
This will be lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days.
Second and further offences may double, up to a maximum of £6,400.
The government have encouraged the public to report social distancing violations online.
But, Pete Musgrave, from the Humberside Police Federation, says his officers will continue to use an “exchange and explain approach”.
He continued:
“We’d obviously engage those people, explain what we’re doing, and only as a last resort, if we’re not getting the compliance we want from those people after we’ve done all those things, then potentially we’d look to doing the enforce side of it with the fixed penalty notice.
“I don’t see us jumping straight into enforcement straight away.”