GPD details enforcement plan for citing social gathering violators

The fines and penalties notice came out right before the holiday season, however no citations were issued by police on Thanksgiving Day to social gathering violators.

GPD Spokesperson Sergeant Paul Tapao told KUAM News, "You take from where we were to where we are now, the Guam Police Department now has the authority to issue a citation for any violation."

The governor's latest executive order grants the authority to the Department of Public Health and Guam Police Department to enforce fines and fees for those in violation of the social distancing and social gathering guidelines.

"And we see countless times businesses who violated repeatedly and the Guam Police Department alongside the Department of Public Health have gone down and pretty much asked them to cease their operation, and we come back two days later and they are still doing it so this pretty much gives us the operation now to issue the citation and of course there is a fine associated with each citation we issue to," said Tapao.

As we reported, for individuals failing to comply the first offense is $100, second offense $250, and third offense $1,000. For businesses, the first offense is $1,000, second offense $2,500 and third offense $10,000.

However no citations have been issued. According to Sgt. Tapao yesterday on Thanksgiving Day, the Dededo Precinct Command received reports from multiple community members of a residence not adhering to the social gathering mandate of no more than five people per household.

"There were some call outs, but there were no citations that were issued because we as police officers we have discretionary powers and of course the best thing we can do first is really educate our community about the importance of adhering to the executive order," he confirmed.

Tapao says within the first 6 months of the pandemic GPD recorded over 2,500 interactions with the community at the beaches, residences and business around the island for violating the executive order.

"We can give discretion so we had that authorization to counsel and help educate the community I think we will move forward with that but should anything escalate rest assured we can now issue a citation," he said.

Citations may be challenged through the Traffic Division at the Superior Court of Guam.