Whanganui Police impressed by compliant nature around level 2 restrictions

Police operations around bars will continue as normal with the focus on ensuring licensing staff and the public understand the requirements. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui's top cop says the area has been largely compliant with level 2 restrictions.

Whanganui-Ruapehu area commander Nigel Allan said extra patrols had continued to operate.

"We spent some time last weekend looking into our hospitality locations just to make sure they were aware of their obligations and they were compliant with them but no issues locally as a result of that," he said.

There have been no arrests made for breaking social distancing or social gathering restrictions.

"We had an occasion last weekend where we talked to a couple of licensed premises who arguably didn't quite have the social distancing right but they were conversations only. It was a matter of educating them and everyone's really receptive of that."

With bars now being open and 100 people allowed on the premises Allan said police would be visiting licensed premises as they normally had done before the pandemic.

Police area commander Whanganui-Ruapehu Inspector Nigel Allan has been very impressed with how the community have taken responsibility in level 2. Photo / Bevan Conley

"We're not going in with a ruler, it's around making sure people are going in with the principles and are compliant as opposed to pedantic enforcement," he said.

"We know the risk of Covid spreading has been in those social circumstances so people just need to be aware of that."

Allan said police wanted to maintain some of the benefits they had got during the Covid-19 response, including an increased interaction with the public, increased visibility and working with communities to ensure they are safe.