Police issue 189 fines for Hertfordshire coronavirus lockdown breaches
Herts police have issued 189 fixed penalty fines in the county over the last month. Picture: RADAR - Credit: Archant
Hertfordshire police have handed out 189 fines in the county for residents allegedly flouting COVID-19 lockdown laws, new figures reveal.
Data published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council shows 189 fixed penalty notices were recorded by Hertfordshire Constabulary, between March 27 and April 27.
Of those, 108 were issued up to April 13, with a further 81 handed out in the two weeks to April 27.
Deputy Chief Constable Sara Glen said a “vast majority” of fines enforced nationally are a result of residents not complying, being out in public spaces without excuse and ignoring police advice.
Police forces have been given powers to hand out a £60 penalty – reduced to £30 if paid within two weeks – for breaches of the lockdown rules.
More than 9,000 fines have been handed to people across England and Wales, a figure which the NPCC said represents around 0.02% of the population. Nearly 400 were for repeat offenders, with one person fined six times.
Ms Glen added that younger people were more likely to breach the lockdown rules, with figures showing around eight out of 10 people fined across England and Wales were men – a third were aged between 18-24 and another third aged 25-34.
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“The vast majority of the fines that we’re seeing enforced are people not complying, being out in public spaces where they don’t have a reasonable excuse to do so, not listening to the officers’ advice in respect of engaging, to the extent where the officer has to issue a ticket to secure compliance,” she said.
