Dozens of people breaking Covid-19 laws have been fined after police attended multiple indoor gatherings in Aberdeen.
The Press and Journal accompanied officers at the weekend as they attended call-outs across the city aimed at tackling those who continue to break regulations.
Police were called to addresses in several areas of Aberdeen including Seaton, Cove and the West End, breaking up parties and issuing fixed penalty notices.
During the crackdown they discovered:
- Revellers who had been punished previously for similar offences
- Partygoers who fled the scene and hid in bushes to avoid fines
- One young man who hosted a gathering with friends while his mum was out working for the NHS.
Senior officers say they are being put at risk by those who continue to hold parties, while it also means they are unable to attend other incidents.
Sergeant Geoff Catto, who led operations at the weekend, described the number of incidents involving people breaching Covid-19 laws as “frustrating”.
“A year on, people should know they can’t be doing this,” he added.
“It is understandable that people feel lonely and are in need of company but it is frustrating that they are going to the extent of having large parties indoors.
“That then puts not only themselves at risk, but officers at risk as well. To minimise the contact we have got to try and manage the situation. Sometimes you are going into a small flat so you have to deal with it by taking them into different rooms or taking them outside.
“That means we need more officers. We can’t just go in with two – we need to be going there with four or six at a time to try and keep them all distanced and take all their details.
“There is a lot of time spent dealing with these Covid party calls and that puts a huge strain on our resources. We have units tied up at addresses and that means calls start to back up.”
Police Scotland has a policy of engaging with Covid-19 law breakers before issuing any fines – but Sgt Catto admitted they are often left with no choice.
Fines start at £60 and double for each offence, so those caught flouting the rules a second time will be told to pay £120.
“Enforcement is the last route we go down but people have been educated repeatedly over the last year,” he said.
“When you go to a call and there’s a large number of people having a party, it’s clearly not a mistake. It’s a blatant breach of the rules and they know they are doing wrong.
“Generally it is decent enough folk, and it isn’t only young people either. However, they have to understand that we all have to follow the guidelines.
“What will normally happen in those circumstances where there is a blatant breach, and large numbers of people gathered, is they will get a fine.
“If they have already had one, which is the case with one of the calls we attended, it will be the second level of fine they will get. Hopefully, that is a deterrent and they won’t have another party.”
Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart condemned those who continue to break the rules, branding news of the incidents “deeply infuriating”.
With Covid-19 laws set to be gradually lifted in the coming months, Mr Stewart urged the public to stick to the rules.
“Every single one of us wants to see the back of the pandemic to spend time with our friends and family and enjoy the things that we used to take for granted,” he said.
“The vaccine rollout is going very well and we have a plan out of coronavirus now, so to hear of folk having parties while the rest of us are stuck at home doing the right thing is deeply infuriating.
“Let’s stick with it and get through these final stages – a more normal way of life is within touching distance.”
Meanwhile, north-east Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said everyone has a responsibility to do their bit to “drive down new cases” and adhere to Covid-19 laws.
“More and more people are getting vaccinated, but this is no time for complacency,” he said.
“Almost 900 Scots are still in hospital and there are new admissions every day.
“We owe it to the NHS to do our part in driving down new cases.
“The only way we will see a return to normal is if people stick to the rules.
“Breaking them is illegal, foolish and could influence the tier we go into when lockdown ends.
“House parties will return — and will be all the better when it’s safe to have them.”
Over the course of the crackdown, officers also attended a number of false alarms – calls which had been made with good intentions but where there was no breach of the rules.
Sgt Catto urged people to continue to get in touch if they believe others are breaking Covid 19 laws and pledged to investigate every report.
“Generally people will phone in because they have a genuine reason for doing so and are anxious about breaches of the guidelines,” he said.
“We will go and investigate every one and I would urge people to keep phoning in.
“If there are folk thinking they will get away with it, people will report them.
“The vast majority of people are sticking to the rules. This is only a minority across the city when you consider how many people live here. There is a large population of young people and the majority are sticking to the rules.”
Chief Inspector David Paterson, local area commander for Aberdeen City South, said: “We fully recognise the impact that the restrictions have had on people’s lives, however it is clear that significant sacrifices are vital to help suppress the spread of Covid-19. Thankfully, the vast majority of the public have continued to comply with the regulations and the spirit of the legislation.
“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation, encourage compliance and use enforcement as a last resort.
“We really appreciate the patience and tolerance displayed by our communities, as well as their understanding of the challenges faced by all emergency services over the last year. I’d also like to commend our officers across the north-east who have showed remarkable resilience and commitment throughout this testing time.”
