AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Police Chief Brian Manley wants to make it clear: his officers will not issue tickets or arrest anyone for violating the City of Austin and Travis County's "stay-at-home" orders.
"This is not an issue of going to enforce our way out of citations, arrests, whatever. This is only going to be solved by voluntary compliance," Manley said. "Our focus is on education, on making sure, again, that the community members understand the orders and that the conduct that they are engaging [in] is in violation of those orders and the need for them to not [do] that for the safety and health of everyone involved."
Manley discussed enforcing the orders during a town hall hosted by the Austin Justice Coalition on Wednesday.
He also said having officers issue tickets or arrest people for violating the orders would tie up department resources and create unnecessary contact, which could help spread COVID-19.
"We know that social distancing, that quarantine, that isolation works," Manley said. "We just need the community to cooperate."
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