75 islanders ticketed for breaking rules of confinement

The Formentera Department of Interior reports that since the state of alarm was invoked, local law enforcement have written 75 citations to islanders who failed to comply with confinement orders, namely, by leaving home for activities not allowed under the emergency decree.

Formentera Local Police now have a drone that supports the force’s surveillance operations, helping to detect residents in breach of orders. The device affords a much wider visual scope than is usually possible in many parts of the island, where ground patrols can be complicated.

In randomly selected areas of the island, the aircraft supports the police department’s normal surveillance operations by performing aerial sweeps of randomly selected areas of the island—flights that will continue as long as the state of alarm remains in force. A citation cannot be issued based on drone-captured images alone, rather, the location of possible offenders must first be determined and agents can issue a ticket once on the scene.

Drone operations, just one part of the island police force’s battery of control measures in towns and on local roads, are meant to dissuade Formentera residents from violating the rules. Formentera Local Police remind islanders that, if non-essential employees have been called back to work, other islanders mustn’t let their guard down. Shelter in place orders remain in effect and travel and social contact must still be avoided as much as possible to keep coronavirus at bay.

17 April 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera