Tayside public thanked for Covid 19 cooperation
Published 24 April 2020
As Police Scotland’s response to the coronavirus pandemic continues to protect the NHS and save lives, Tayside Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Andrew Todd would like to thank the vast majority of the public for their ongoing support and cooperation.
Figures released today show that Police Scotland issued just 1,637 fixed penalty notices and made 78 arrests across the whole of Scotland between Friday, 27 March, and 7am on Thursday, 23 April. 69 of these penalty notices were issued in Tayside, with eight arrests made.
Chief Superintendent Todd said: “The public's response in Tayside has been excellent - the majority have accepted police advice and only on very rare occasions have officers had to issuing warnings or take enforcement action.
“We all continue to find ourselves in an extraordinary situation and we know people are making significant sacrifices in their day-to-day lives as the restrictions continue. Police Scotland officers will continue to work hard to explain, educate and encourage people to comply with the guidance where necessary. Enforcement action will be used as a last resort and only where people continue to flout the regulations and fail to comply repeatedly with police direction.
“In line with the rest of the country, our patrols continue at key locations including beaches, dog walking areas, parks and other green spaces. I appreciate that as the restrictions persist and the weather continues to be so good, it may feel tempting to spend time more outdoors and to visit the countless beauty spots we are fortunate to have across Tayside. However the message is clear - you should only leave the house for very limited purposes including buying basic necessities such as food and medicine, for daily exercise, for medical needs or travelling for work which cannot be done at home. Do not travel to take exercise and do not hold gatherings with people from outwith your household.
“The Chief Constable has been clear that everyone - including police officers - has to take a common sense approach to this challenging situation and this is what we will continue to do given our strong history of policing by consent. We need everybody, collectively, though to play their part to protect the NHS and save lives.”
