SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- Across San Diego County, most law enforcement agencies have been focusing on education rather than enforcement regarding violations of the county’s public health order.
The goal is to get people to comply voluntarily.
“What we’re trying to do here is educate the public so that ultimately we can save lives,” said San Diego Sheriff, Bill Gore.
In the City of Coronado, police have been offering people free facial coverings.
“To approach folks in an enforcement posture, I’m not sure we’re going to get the type of compliance we need,” said Coronado Police Chief Chuck Kaye. “When we see folks that are not using face coverings we say ‘hey can we offer you a face covering?’”
This Fourth of July weekend is expected to be busy, especially at local beaches.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all parking lots of state beaches in Southern California and the Bay Area to be closed for the weekend.
The City of Oceanside has also decided to close off its beach parking lots.
So far, no community COVID-19 outbreaks have been linked to outdoor settings.
“I spoke to a number of the coastal mayors and said ‘are you confident you can enforce the physical distancing at your beaches?’” said county’s supervisor, Nathan Fletcher. “They said they can so we have to trust them that they can do that as we move forward into the weekend,” said San Diego County supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
“We have our normal patrols in our coastal towns that we police for,” said Gore. “We’re not planning to add enforcement details to be specifically walking on the beaches to look at who’s wearing a mask, who’s socially distanced or not.”
Gore said he expects beachgoers to comply with social distancing and facial covering rules when required.
Under the latest public health order, restaurants must close to the public from 10 PM TO 5 AM.
Bars, wineries, and breweries that don’t serve food must completely close down. Wineries that operate outside are an exception and may stay open.
“State regulatory teams will be in different regions, we’ll be working with that team here which part of it is Alcohol Beverage Control and our county regulatory agency,” said Gore. “So, we can do enforcement if we don’t get that voluntary compliance that we’re seeking,” said Gore.
The San Diego Police Department said it's anticipating crowds this weekend and will have extra officers patroling the beaches and bays to keep people safe. If officers witness violations of the public health order, they will educate people to seek compliance.
