"Many of us like going out for a beer, so now that we can again, don't ruin it for everyone."
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That's the message from local officers as they start to police the state's new COVID licensing rules after pubs and clubs reopened their doors this week.
Operation Pariac has licensing and general duties officers working with publicans and staff to ensure pubs, clubs and licensed restaurants are playing by the new rules.
"It's a new normal, and it's about working with everyone to understand that," Oxley Detective Acting Inspector Jason Darcy told the Leader.
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"Police will be in and around licensed premises, and the regulations are regularly being updated so we're working with the venues and liquor accord to provide the latest guidelines and information on what they should and shouldn't do."
Since Monday, licensed venues, cafes and restaurants are allowed to have a maximum of 50 people on site if they are complying with social distancing guidelines.
Pubs and clubs are now allowed to serve alcohol without requiring patrons to also buy food.
As part of a COVID safety plan, venues must keep a log of the personal details of all patrons who enter, and authorities can inspect the information to ensure they are complying with the health order.
The operation will run for four weeks. Detective Darcy said police don't want to have to do head counts at pubs and clubs, and they don't want to have to hand out fines.
"If they constantly breach [the rules], it puts pressure on the licensed premises and they wreck it for everyone, but patrons need to be patient and compliant," he said.
"Many of us like going for a beer ... so don't wreck it for everyone."
Detective Darcy said the Oxley licensing team were working proactively to help ensure venues complied with the new regulations.
"Now that everything has been opened, we're asking for a bit of patience, this is the world we're in at the moment, and it will take a bit of getting used to for many patrons," he said.
Detective Darcy said they wanted it to be an education campaign, not an enforcement one.
"It's about patrons understanding that when they enter into our licensed clubs or pubs they must provide their personal details ... that's all about COVID tracing for health reasons in the event such an outbreak occurs," Detective Darcy said.
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Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
