Please attribute to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster:
Police continue to be pleased with compliance during Alert Level 4 restrictions despite a small number of incidents which have attracted Police attention.
While Police are still taking an education-first approach, as our responses show, we will move to enforcement action quickly when required.
We would like to remind people that under Alert Level Four exercise should be in your neighbourhood only and any recreational activity that could lead to a rescue or emergency response is not permitted.
Queenstown Police were extremely disappointed yesterday when they were called to a crash at a mountain bike park in Fernhill. Upon arrival Police estimated there were 50 or more mountain bikers on this track.
Due to where the crash happened, it took two hours, a 4WD and several Police and ambulance staff to remove the injured woman from the site. The woman had to be transported to Dunedin Hospital via helicopter.
Police will be speaking to the biker at a later date and enforcement action for breaching restrictions will be considered. The other mountain bikers on the track were educated on Alert Level Four rules.
Our staff are out and about around the country conducting reassurance checks, and people can expect to be questioned about their movements.
Counties Manukau Road Policing staff have been visible in the southern part of the district today. They noted low volumes of traffic this morning and high rates of compliance.
Compliance data update
Since Alert Level 4 came into place, 93 people have been charged with a total of 99 offences nationwide as at 5pm yesterday (28 August 2021).
These arrests are primarily the result of protest activity in the first few days of Alert Level 4 and other intentional behaviour in breach of the restrictions.
Of the 99 charges filed, 65 are for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), 21 for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction, 11 for Health Act Breaches, and 2 for Assaults/Threatens/Hinders/Obstructs Enforcement Officer.
In the same time period, 256 formal warnings were issued – 87 of the formal warnings were for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), 104 for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction and 68 for Health Act Breaches.
Since 19 August 2021, Police have been issuing infringements for COVID-19 related breaches.
As at 5pm on 27 August 2021, Police have issued 1594 infringements nationwide.
• Person failed to remain at current home / residence – 1465
• Person failed to wear a face covering on premises – 41
• Person failed to comply with applicable physical distancing rule – 55
• Obstruct/Hinder Medical Officer of Health or Person Assisting Med Officer/Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19) – 16
• Person failed to wear a face covering on public transport – 4
• Person in control of premises failed to close as required – 2
• Person in control of workplace failed to display QR code – 6
• Person organised a gathering in an outdoor place - 5
Police have now received a total of 11,103 online breach notifications.
6753 were about a gathering, 3305 were about a business, and 1045 were about a person.
In addition to the online breach notifications, a total of 7097 Covid-19 related calls were made to the 105-phone line.
The majority (5044) of calls were requests for information, and 2053 were to report perceived Covid-19 breaches.
Overall, Police are encouraged to see how well people are behaving across the country but there is a small number of people who are continuing to flout the rules.
Further information about travel at Alert Level 4 can be found at: www.covid19.govt.nz
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre