Better enforcement of current lockdown guidelines

Resason for idea:

The current lockdown restrictions, as they are written, are reasonable, asking people to stay at home unless essential while allowing people a measure of freedom to look after their physical and mental wellbeing.

However, these rules are being stretched and flouted to the point where they may as well not exist at all.

£30 fine as a last resort is not an effective deterrent.
Police are often visible but doing little to enforce the restrictions.

Idea:

There should be heftier deterrents for breaking the restrictions.
Police should be more proactive about dispersing people that are flouting the rules.
Police should be given the support and power they need to enforce the restrictions and penalise obvious flouters.
Army could support the police in enforcing restrictions.

Why the contribution is important

In it's current state, with too many people refusing to adhere to the restrictions, the lockdown is ineffective and will therefore drag on for even longer than necessary putting more strain on businesses struggling to survive and on people who are adhering to the restrictions.

For lockdown to be effective, the whole country needs to pull together and abide by the restrictions.

Unfortunately it is clear that the current approach of trusting the public to comply of their own accord is not working and therefore stricter enforcement is necessary.

by Raging_kitty on May 10, 2020 at 11:32AM

Current Rating

Average rating: 3.1
Based on: 8 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Jennyc May 10, 2020 at 11:59

    I agree, a small number of people are ignoring the rules and risking lives. We need tougher deterrents and more support for the police.

  • Posted by Davidinverness May 10, 2020 at 12:03

    The restrictions have served their purpose and it is time to move on. The idea that enforcing them with higher fines will improve public health is nonsense and will also lead in the long term to distrust in the police service who will be seen with hindsight to be punishing otherwise law abiding citizens. Even communist china recognised that the lockdown needed to be eased. Our government needs to develop a strategy to get out of this mess.

  • Posted by Mitchy May 10, 2020 at 12:29

    Sadly I think the people flouting the guidelines always have and will continue to do so. I am not sure how this could be managed more effectively. A solution possibly could be to give local councillors short term powers as the police are too stretched to do reinforce the rules for persistent offenders.
    I think a balance needs to be struck as to when it is safe to ease lockdown. I think the FM is right to delay just now because of the sheer number of deaths still occurring. However it may be possible in a weeks time to take two small steps rather than one just now. I thing the FM has been very transparent on this and has a good communication channel with specialists and scientist advice. It maybe that now a business consortium needs to be set up ( if there isn’t one already) to include specialists in these fields to drive the opening of our economy in Scotland.
    I believe that companies can apply to reopen now and as long as they can prove they can meet the 2mtr restrictions they are being allowed to do so.

  • Posted by BONGI20 May 11, 2020 at 20:49

    I think the police should have greater powers to enforce the lockdown rules, especially around social gatherings, people making unnecessary journeys and tradesmen working on building projects in private houses . Fines should be heftier and people named and shamed. The few spoil it for the rest of us.
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