A police boss has accused the Welsh Government of a \u201ctimid fudge\u201d over increasing the fines for people flouting coronavirus travel restrictions.<\/p>\n
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones says it is a big mistake to have a sliding scale of penalties for people travelling without a lawful reason.<\/p>\n
People will only be fined the new maximum amount of \u00a31,920 if they are caught breaking the law six times.<\/p>\n
But the fine for a first time offence stays at \u00a360 which, according to Mr Jones, is not a sufficient deterrent.<\/p>\n
Mr Jones, a former police inspector, has campaigned for the introduction of steeper fines because he\u2019s concerned about the risk of spreading the virus in Wales.<\/p>\n
He also conducted an online poll which showed that 91 per cent of the 2,000 people who responded were in favour of bigger fines, with 65 per cent of them opting for a fine of \u00a3500.<\/p>\n
Mr Jones said: \u201cThe issue of fines has been a total shambles from the outset.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, caused consternation and confusion when he decided to go down a different route in easing the lockdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is now okay for people in England to travel as far as they want to do exercise within in England.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the law in Wales has not changed. Here people are not allowed to travel somewhere else for exercise or leisure \u2013 they are legally obliged to say within the vicinity of their own homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat makes things even more confusing for people is that the lockdown restriction in Wales are tighter than in England but the fines for breaking them here are smaller than in England. It just doesn\u2019t make any sense at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I and Dafydd Llywelyn, my counterpart in Dyfed Powys, have been campaigning for an increase in the penalties so we can send out a clear message to people that they must obey Welsh law on this so that we can keep our communities safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Welsh Government had been under increasing pressure to do something but I\u2019m afraid this is a very timid fudge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is crazy that you would have to be caught six times before you risked\u00a0 being fined the maximum amount of \u00a31,920<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is evidence to increase subsequent fines there is evidence to increase the \u00a360 fine for a first offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe First Minister pretends to listen to policing but he hasn’t otherwise he would have increased the \u00a360 to a deterrent level like \u00a3500 which a public poll called for.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have all seen the result of easing the lockdown in England with people flocking in their thousands to the beaches and beauty spots, making social distancing nigh on impossible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last thing we want is to risk a second wave of this deadly virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to give our frontline officers the proper tools to do their job which is difficult at the best of times and I\u2019m afraid the new sliding scale of fines is not going to help them enforce the Covid-19 travel restrictions.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, many people across the border are oblivious to the differences of approach here in Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t have stiffer penalties and a clearer message, we are risking an influx of visitors heading to the mountains and coast of North Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeeping people safe is the first priority of the police and I am extremely disappointed that the Welsh Government have not helped our officers in doing such an important job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sliding scale of fines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n Existing fine structure<\/strong><\/td>\n New fine structure<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n First offence<\/td>\n \u00a360<\/td>\n \u00a360<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Second offence<\/td>\n \u00a3120<\/td>\n \u00a3120<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Third offence<\/td>\n \u00a3120<\/td>\n \u00a3240<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fourth offence<\/td>\n \u00a3120<\/td>\n \u00a3480<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fifth offence<\/td>\n \u00a3120<\/td>\n \u00a3960<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sixth and subsequent offences<\/td>\n \u00a3120<\/td>\n \u00a31,920<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n