Police News from Acting Waikato District Commander Inspector Andrew Mortimore:
Waikato Police will be busy across the District this Easter as we work to make sure our communities are safe and protected during the Covid-19 Alert Level 4 restriction period.
This is always a popular time of year for travel to holiday towns and catching up with friends and family, but this year those plans need to change.
Travelling to the holiday home or bach for the weekend is not allowed.
The rules are clear – you need to stay at your home during the Alert Level 4 period, expect for essential travel like supermarket shopping or going to the pharmacy. Staying at home means stopping the spread of Covid-19.
The Waikato has a number of communities which may be vulnerable to the disease, including towns with a high proportion of elderly people.
We want to protect all our residents from infection, and everyone can play their part by staying at home and keeping any essential travel local.
We have conducted a number of checkpoints already across the District and we’re generally pleased with the high level of compliance we are seeing. The majority of people we have spoken to understand the rules and the importance of sticking to them, and we thank them for their efforts.
However there are still examples of people breaching the restrictions, and putting themselves and others at risk in the process.
Across New Zealand Police conducted 190 checkpoints on Thursday and continue to remain out on our roads for Easter, to ensure people are complying with Alert Level 4 restrictions to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The majority of people stopped by Police have been complying with Alert Level 4 restrictions, which is pleasing to see.
However, Police say they are still seeing examples of people who are not complying.
At a checkpoint northbound on SH1 at Fisherman’s Table, Paekakariki today, approximately 40 vehicles were stopped in an hour, and four vehicles were turned around.
In one car, a man had driven from Porirua with his dogs and was heading to Waikanae to walk them as “that’s where he always goes”.
Four flatmates from Mt Cook in another car told Police they were heading to Otaki for a day tramp in the bush.
And a couple from Pukerua Bay were heading to Paekakariki to walk the Escarpment track back to Pukerua Bay — this was deemed unsafe.
The first step will be to educate and to talk to people about the rules. However if people continue to breach the restrictions, officers will use their discretion to warn, or if necessary, arrest.
Waikato Police are committed to making sure people are safe and informed and we will be highly visible this Easter to make sure our communities are protected.