Complaints to police about anti-social behaviour have rocketed during the coronavirus lockdown.
Officers in Fife dealt with almost 50% more calls in the three months from April 1, after lockdown was imposed, than in the same period last year – all of them covid-19 related.
Chief Superintendent Derek McEwan said many of the complaints were about house parties and large gatherings, banned under the Scottish Government’s social distancing rules, but that people had also reported neighbours for making non-essential journeys or exercising more than once a day.
If coronavirus calls were removed, reports of anti-social behaviour would actually have reduced in the region, he said.
One hundred and seventy-nine fixed penalty notices have so far been issued to rule-breakers, while 63 people have been charged with covid-related offences, including a 57-year-old woman who hosted an Easter pool party in her garden.
Despite this, Mr McEwan revealed the vast majority of Fifers had complied with lockdown rules and were supportive of officers who were given unprecedented powers to help deal with the pandemic.
He has thanked those who stuck to the guidance and put up with the “severe restrictions”, reducing pressure on police as a result.
“Anti-social behaviour calls in Fife have increased by 48%. All of that increase, and slightly more, is covid-related,” he said.
“That includes calls about parties, someone going out walking for the fourth time today, somebody making a car journey that’s not essential.
“We have been inundated with these calls and have to make assessments and respond to them as best we can.”
Mr McEwan said an authoritarian police approach to the guidelines would not have worked.
“This is a public health crisis, not a law enforcement issue, so we are supporting communities and looking to engage with the public and explain to them what they should be doing rather than going straight to enforcement,” he said.
“There has been a high level of compliance and we have noticed it but there have been pockets of individuals who quite frankly don’t think they need to adhere to the guidelines.
“We engage with them and have sometimes needed to enforce, whether it’s fixed penalties, charges or arrests.”
Mr McEwan also praised officers who have worked in challenging circumstances throughout the crisis.
“We have officers who have made the decision to separate themselves from their families for a number of months because there are health conditions,” he said.
“We are sending them into situations where they don’t always have time to put on PPE and when lockdown first happened absence levels increased significantly because they are not immune just because they wear a uniform.
“I have a great deal of admiration for every one of them and I take pride in knowing the vast majority of communities appreciate what they do.”
