The Victoria Police Department issued one man three separate COVID-19 fines for belligerent behaviour in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
According to a press release issued by VicPD, officers received a report from a taxi driver just after 1 a.m. on January 1.
The taxi driver told police that a man in their cab was refusing to wear a mask, touching the driver’s face, and belligerently refusing the driver’s requests for the passenger to adhere to the COVID-19 Related Measures Act (CRMA) guidelines.
The taxi driver drove their cab to VicPD’s 850 Caledonia Avenue headquarters, where it was met by waiting Patrol and VicPD Traffic officers.
At that point, officers say the passenger refused to comply with officers’ demands to leave the vehicle.
Police proceeded to remove the passenger and take him into custody.
The man faces three CRMA fines, for failing to wear a facial covering, abusive or belligerent behaviour, and failing to comply with the direction of an officer.
Police note that all of these fines carry a $230 price tag, totalling $690.
The passenger was also ticketed for being intoxicated in a public place and held in VicPD cells until sober, according to the press release.
Victoria police say this is the largest number of CRMA fines issued to an individual by VicPD officers.
Officers say that they responded to over a dozen reports of gatherings, including house parties and parties in hotel rooms. Where the reports were founded, officers attended and broke up the gatherings while informing participants of their responsibilities under the CRMA.
CHEK News
