The North’s top police officer has urged people not to make personal exemptions to stay at home advice during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Highlands and Islands Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent George Macdonald said “extraordinary” new powers will be used as a last resort to enforce measures to protect people during the crisis.
Officers in the region have already used emergency powers to make arrests and issue fixed penalty notices during the lockdown.
But Chief Supt Macdonald paid tribute to the majority of people who have abided by the guidance and stayed indoors.
He said: “I would like to thank the vast majority of the public across the Highlands and Islands who are adhering to the guidance set out by the Scottish Government so far.
“The response we have received has been overwhelmingly positive and, in the face of such challenging circumstances, this has never been needed more.
“We have obviously been given extraordinary powers that Police Scotland would not normally wish to have, but this is an extraordinary situation and one which everybody – collectively – needs to play their part in addressing.
“The legal instructions on not leaving your home without a reasonable excuse apply to everyone and individuals must not make personal exemptions bespoke to their own circumstances.”
Chief Supt Macdonald said people should stay at home and only go outside if they have a ‘reasonable excuse’ – shopping for necessary food, household and medical supplies, travelling to and from work and daily exercise that adheres to social distancing guidance.
“Effective social distancing is essential to protect each other, support key workers, take the strain from the NHS and ultimately save lives,” he said.
He added that officers will engage with people outside if necessary to establish their circumstances, explain the guidance and encourage them to comply with it if they are doing something that is putting others at risk.
“Only as a very last resort will enforcement action be used where people continue to defy the clear advice being given,” he said.
