LAKEPORT, Calif. – As its officers continue to educate the public about the shelter in place order and conduct extra patrols around the city, the Lakeport Police Department said Wednesday that it issued its first citation to a community member who was found in violation of the order.
The shelter in place order went into effect countywide on March 19. It’s meant to protect the community against COVID-19.
It requires people to stay at home unless conducting essential business – a list of activities that includes grocery shopping, traveling to and from work, and picking up prescriptions, among others – and not to congregate in public areas.
The city subsequently closed its facilities, including its parks.
In the weeks since, the department reported that it has worked to inform nonessential businesses of the need to close and has educated community members about the requirements to stay at home and practice social distancing.
However, on Wednesday, it gave out its first citation to 61-year-old Lakeport resident Robin Gonsalves, according to Lt. Dale Stoebe.
Stoebe said they responded to the area near the Lake County Courthouse on N. Forbes Street on a report of a woman in an argument with someone in the street.
He said when he arrived on the scene, Gonsalves was sitting in the parking lot of the courthouse, drinking wine out of a plastic cup.
“I took her wine away from her,” said Stoebe, who added that he then explained the shelter in place order to Gonsalves.
Gonsalves told Stoebe she knew about the order and wasn’t leaving. He said she continued to be uncooperative after she was given several opportunities to get her things and leave.
As a result, Stoebe said he issued a criminal citation for violation of the shelter in place order, Health and Safety Code 120295, to Gonsalves.
Gonsalves continued to refuse to leave the property, and so Stoebe issued two more citations to her for delaying a peace officer and trespassing, releasing her on the citations to appear in court at a later date, he said.
“This was kind of surprising,” said Stoebe, who noted that for the most part community members have understood the need for the order. “At this point, it’s been predominantly cooperative.”
He said the department has let Lake County Environmental Health take the lead on determining which businesses are essential and worked to educate those that weren’t, which have since closed.
Overall, between businesses and individuals, “We feel compliance is good,” said Stoebe, adding that they are encouraging people to stay the course.
Stoebe said calls for service aren’t necessarily down, as the bulk of them relate to the shelter in place order.
However, actual case numbers are down significantly – by more than half, he said.
“It gives us the time to contact people that appear to be violating the shelter in place order,” he said.
It also gives officers the opportunity to increase patrols. With many businesses closed, Stoebe said officers are doing security checks.
For the five-day period ending on Wednesday, Stoebe said Lakeport Police officers had patrolled more than 1,700 miles and done several hours of foot patrol per shift.
“They are spending a lot of their time out looking for violators and trying to be there to support the businesses when they can’t be in their buildings,” said Stoebe.
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Lakeport Police Department issues first shelter-in-place violation citation; overall crime reports down
- Elizabeth Larson
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