Union boss calls for ‘realistic’ expectations of police enforcing COVID-19 restrictions

Broadcast on 3AW on 17 August 2021

Police union boss Wayne Gatt has urged Melburnians to do the right thing when meeting friends in public from tomorrow, admitting police won’t be swarming parks and other public areas to ensure people are complying with COVID-19 rules.

There has been plenty of conjecture about fully vaccinated people being able to meet in groups of five (from two households) while the government remains committed to its ban on removing masks to drink alcohol.

“Let’s be realistic, our members won’t be roaming parks checking to see if you’re double-vaxxed or drinking diet coke,” Wayne Gatt told Tom Elliott.

“We just don’t have the people to do that.

“It really falls back to voluntary compliance, like masks.”

He said police would have their hands full trying to to diffuse a planned anti-lockdown protest.

He also defended Victoria Police’s handling of protests on Friday from construction workers, unhappy they’re no longer allowed to eat in tea rooms due to the spread of COVID-19.