Police act on 699 lockdown breaches

High number of calls to Devon & Cornwall cops

Devon and Cornwall Police have been called nearly 900 times in just six days since the new national lockdown began on Tuesday 5 January.

They say 699 of the reports were deemed suitable for what they call 3Es action (Engage, Explain and Encourage) - meaning nearly four in five calls made to the police about covid breaches required intervention of some kind.

From Tuesday to Sunday, they dished out 36 fixed penalty notices, including nine for outdoor gatherings, four for leaving house without reasonable excuse and for 15 indoor gatherings. The fines can be £200 each, doubling for each subsequent offence.

The force says it has also undertaken high-visibility patrols resulting in more than 800 stop-checks and around a dozen fixed penalty notices being issued.

In a statement they say: "Our roads do appear to be quieter as shown by the notable reduction in road traffic collisions since lockdown, and crime is down around 11 per cent compared to pre-lockdown figures. 999 calls are down around 10 per cent but calls and contact to our 101 service is up around 23 per cent compared to the week prior to lockdown. 

"Devon and Cornwall Police operate over the largest geographical force in the country and we cannot be everywhere at once, so it is vital that all are doing their part in adhering to the rules of lockdown as this will ultimately save lives.

"The figures show the vast majority of communities are complying with the regulations and we will always look to respond to all calls where non-compliance is being reported.

"We continue with a 4Es approach and would reiterate that personal responsibility from all of our communities remains critical. We ask our communities to follow the spirit of the Government’s covid-19 guidance, not just the letter of the law."