THE region’s top ranking police officer says Victorians have been “largely compliant” with hard border restrictions implemented last week in response to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
It follows the arrest of a Victorian man in Bordertown on Wednesday who was found to have entered South Australia without passing through a border checkpoint.
Further checks on the man revealed there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Victoria.
Limestone Coast Police officer in charge Superintendent Phil Hoff said the man was arrested and would face court pending COVID-19 testing.
“He was not an essential traveller and is actually wanted in Victoria, so he was arrested,” Supt Hoff said.
“Outside of this incident, it has been pleasing to see most people have been compliant.”
Limestone Coast Police have been kept busy in the Bordertown area with a string of COVID-19-related incidents occurring in the district.
Last Friday the Bordertown Hotel was forced to close after police learned a patron believed he may have come into contact with a positive COVID-19 case at the Crossroads Hotel.
Earlier, on July 3, two Victorian men were found bogged in the district while trying to sneak into South Australia after previously being denied at the Bordertown checkpoint.
“There will always one or two that flout the law, but there has been a relatively high level of compliance,” Supt Hoff said.
While rumours continue to circulate surrounding the mistreatment of community members driving cars with Victorian number plates in the region, Supt Hoff revealed no official complaints had been made.
“It would not surprise me if something has happened to someone at some point in time, but we have not had any specific complaints to police,” Supt Hoff said.
“If it has happened I want to know about it as it needs to be addressed because there are people from cross-border communities who are entitled to be here.”
The Border Watch yesterday reported around 40 extra Australian Defence Force personnel are expected to be deployed to South Australia’s borders in the coming days.
With 317 new cases recorded in Victoria yesterday and South Australia recording its first new COVID-19 case in 17 days, Supt Hoff said the community concern was understandable.
“Our cross-border community members are not the enemy, the virus is the enemy and we just have to remember that we are all in this together,” Supt Hoff said.
Delays in processing essential traveller pre-approval continues to cause problems and Supt Hoff said several resources were working through the applications.
“There’s a lot of concern around the online processing system due to the delays, but we are throwing as many resources at it as possible,” he said.
“I would just stress to those who have applied, to not re-apply, as it just adds another one to the system.”
