Victoria Police will pursue outstanding fines for COVID-19 breaches

Victoria Police will not let fines dished out to COVID rule-breakers go unpaid.

Victoria Police says it will uphold any outstanding fines for COVID-19 breaches, declaring its policy remained unchanged for rule-breakers.

“Since the outset fines are issued to people who blatantly and deliberately breach the Chief Health Officer’s directions and put fellow Victorian at risk,” Victoria Police deputy commissioner Rick Nugent said at a press conference on Monday.

Mr Nugent blamed a “poorly worded” internal guidance note circulated to members that gave the wrong impression that COVID rule-breakers could escape unpaid fines with a caution.

“A guide was prepared for prosecutors and police with respect to prosecuting fines,” he said. “In hindsight, that document was poorly worded and doesn’t appropriately articulate the process for fines and warnings.

He acknowledged there had been “some commentary” regarding its policy for the prosecution of COVID-related fines.

“I just want to say from the outset Victoria Police has not changed our policy or its policy on the issue of fines.”

Mr Nugent said while frontline police can “utilise discretion”, he maintained: “Our policy has not shifted. We still continue to give fines for blatant breaches.”

He confirmed the guidance note would be changed this week.

More than 30,000 fines have been reviewed, Mr Nugent said, with a “percentage” withdrawn as “they found they weren’t consistent with the (Chief Health Officer’s) directions”.

“I can say approximately 3000 have been paid,” he said, adding about 5700 had “accepted guilt and are on a payment plan.”

“We went through a very hard lockdown in this state; we had a second wave that was challenging for everybody,” Mr Nugent said.

“Our police did an outstanding job in enforcing the public health and wellbeing, and doing all we could to ensure that the virus did not spread further.”

Victoria Police Protective Services Officers patrolling at the height of the pandemic.

A Victoria Police Protective Services Officers conducts a spot check.

It comes after Daniel Andrews hinted at his frustration over what was believed to be a police decision not to pursue outstanding fines for breaches of COVID-19 rules.

Almost $30 million of fines were handed out to rule breaking Victorians, yet thousands of fines remain unpaid.

After it was revealed in October that just 845 fines of the 19,324 issued to that time had been paid Mr Andrews warned fine dodgers “we will come after you”.

“If you want to avoid a fine, follow the rules,” he said.

“It’s very simple and there are many more warnings that have been issued than fines,” he said at the time.

Mr Andrews on Monday refused to be drawn on the issue, but said his stance on fine dodgers hadn’t changed.

“But I’m not the one that’s in charge of those matters, the Chief Commissioner is,” he said.

“He can speak to what he’s done, and why he’s done it. I’m not about directing the Chief Commissioner.

“By law of this state he has an independence that is very, very important, not always convenient necessarily, but it’s something that should be safeguarded,” he said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews seemed frustrated at the move. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Victorian Police Secretary Wayne Gatt said the move could make cops’ job a little bit harder

Earlier on Monday, police association secretary Wayne Gatt told 3AW the decision would make ongoing enforcement more difficult.

“None of this was fun for our members. It was a bit of a thankless job,” he said.

“What you potentially do is … you make that enforcement job of the police a little bit harder.

“We don’t want to do that. The job is tough enough for them.

“You need to be careful that if you say you’re going to do something, you actually do it, because the people that are harmed are the people on the front line that are then asked to enforce and hold it all together in a time of crisis.”