OFFICIAL

Our Ref: IM-FOI-2020-2134 Date: 22 December 2020

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION () ACT 2002

I refer to your recent request for information which has been handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

For ease of reference, your request is replicated below together with the response.

Can you please supply figures for the number of gatherings broken up in Tayside and by police under new coronavirus laws in each month since March?

Clarification provided to include data for ‘house parties’ from August 28 and also dispersals in a private or public place. Please keep these two classifications separate.

First of all, and by way of background, the systems used by to record incidents reported and any subsequent police action have no facility whereby ‘parties’ can be easily identified.

As I’m sure you will appreciate, there was simply no operational requirement for such functionality to be incorporated into our recording systems for the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related legislation being introduced.

However, in recognition of the changing situation, some analysis is now being conducted to provide indicative information about the demand generated from house parties and the use of the new powers.

Other statistics regarding to COVID-19 are already publicly available on the Police Scotland website: www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/covid-19-police-scotland-response/enforcement-and- response-data/

Tayside is listed under D Division and Fife under P Division.

Notwithstanding Table 1 below provides the information requested.

Please break this down between , Angus, Perth & Kinross, and Fife.

The following data has been extracted from the Coronavirus Interventions Database and includes a monthly breakdown of all interventions between the dates 27 March 2020 and 22 November 2020 inclusive. Interventions include public and private space, licensed premises and shops.

scotland.police.uk @PoliceScotland PoliceScotland OFFICIAL OFFICIAL

Table 1: All interventions (public and private space)

Month Dundee City Perth & Kinross Angus Fife March 8 0 0 30 April 550 286 288 584 May 578 312 133 1078 June 32 95 1 519 July 7 0 1 49 August 1 0 0 46 September 398 94 112 2303 October 268 70 94 534 November 82 14 110 369

Can you also please identify the top 10 largest gatherings and supply info on location, time, and number of people. Please include action taken on gatherings under current laws – details provided.

The four tables below demonstrate interventions for the 10 largest gatherings by each of the four subdivisions from 27 March 2020 until 22 November 2020.

Action options recorded on CVI Include -  Asked / Informed  Warned / Instructed  FPN  Arrested  Reasonable Force

Table 1a - Dundee City Subdivision Location Time No Action Castle Green, 1900 100 100 Warned / Instructed Springfield, Dundee 0000 60 60 Asked / Informed Castle Green, Broughty Ferry 1830 50 50 Warned / Instructed Balfour Place, Dundee 0000 50 50 Asked / Informed Sherlbrook Gardens, Dundee 2100 50 50 Asked / Informed Harestane Road, Dundee 1640 40 40 Asked / Informed Section 17 – not held 1500 37 34 Asked / Informed & 3 FPN Commercial Street, Dundee 0200 30 30 Asked / Informed Lochee Park, Ancrum Rd, 1700 25 25 Warned / Instructed Bellsile Drive, Dundee 2200 25 25 Asked / Informed

Table 1b - Perth & Kinross Subdivision Location Time No Action Address - Perth 1245 27 27 Asked / Informed Pier - Invergowrie 2030 25 25 Asked / Informed 2 Sisters Factory, Coupar 1500 20 20 Asked / Informed Faskally Caravan Site 2200 15 15 Asked / Informed Clunie Loch, Kinloch 1625 12 8 Informed & 4 Warned / Instructed Clunie Loch, Kinloch 1630 11 11 Asked / Informed Clunie Loch, Kinloch 2145 11 11 Asked / Informed Gannochy Road, 1600 10 10 Asked / Informed

scotland.police.uk @PoliceScotland PoliceScotland OFFICIAL OFFICIAL

Little Ballo, Abernyte 1430 9 9 Asked / Informed South Inch Skate Park 1600 9 9 Asked / Informed

Table 1c - Angus Subdivision Location Time No Action Langley Avenue, Montrose 2100 30 15 Informed /& 15 Warned / Instructed Victoria Park, 1700 15 15 Asked / Informed Kings Drive cliffs, Arbroath 1500 12 12 Asked / Informed Queens Drive, Arbroath 1615 12 12 Asked / Informed Mallard Drive, Montrose 2300 11 11 Asked / Informed Montrose 2200 11 11 Asked / Informed St Mary’s Road, Montrose 2300 10 10 Asked / Informed Address, Kingennie 0000 10 10 Asked / Informed Fettes Way, Montrose 2200 10 10 Asked / Informed Mariners Street, Carnoustie 2030 10 10 Asked / Informed

Table 1d - Fife Division Location Time No Action West Sands Beach, St 2200 250 250 Asked / Informed Andrews West Sands Beach, St 2200 200 200 Asked / Informed Andrews Castle Sands, 2100 200 200 Asked / Informed Silver Sands Beach, 1545 200 150 Informed & 50 Warned / Aberdour Instructed East Sands Beach, St 2200 180 180 Asked / Informed Andrews West Sands Beach, St 2200 150 150 Asked / Informed Andrews Tentsmuir Forrest, Tayport 1900 100 100 Asked / Informed East Sands Beach, St 2100 100 100 Asked / Informed Andrews Hope Street, St Andrews 2300 100 100 Asked / Informed Calais Muir Woods, Duloch 1900 100 100 Asked / Informed Calais Muir Woods, Duloch 2000 100 90 Informed & 10 Warned / Instructed

The tables below reflect gatherings in private dwellings from 28 August 2020 until 22 November 2020.

Table 2: All gatherings in private dwellings:

Month Dundee City Perth & Kinross Angus Fife August 16 9 2 11 September 69 34 26 103 October 119 62 43 98 November 67 33 36 49

scotland.police.uk @PoliceScotland PoliceScotland OFFICIAL OFFICIAL

The four tables below provides details of the 10 largest gatherings in a private dwelling by subdivision by each of the four subdivisions from 27 March 2020 until 22 November 2020.

Table 2a - Dundee City Subdivision Location Time No Action Springfield, Dundee 0000 60 60 Asked / Informed Sherlbrook Gardens, 2100 50 50 Asked / Informed Dundee Commercial Street, Dundee 0200 30 30 Asked / Informed Bellsile Drive, Dundee 2200 25 25 Asked / Informed Blackness Road, Dundee 0100 20 20 Asked / Informed Sinclair Street, Dundee 0100 20 20 Asked / Informed Brook Gardens, Dundee 0200 20 20 Asked / Informed Fleming Gardens East, 0400 20 20 Asked / Informed Dundee Finglass Street Dundee 0000 15 15 Asked / Informed Reform Street, Dundee 0000 10 10 Asked / Informed

Table 2b - Perth & Kinross Subdivision Location Time No Action Address, Perth 1245 27 27 Asked / Informed Bridge Lane, Perth 0000 16 8 Asked / Informed, 8 Warned / Instructed Crammond Place, Perth 2300 10 5 Warned / Instructed, 5 FPN Carnegie Place, Perth 2300 6 6 Warned / Instructed Potterhill Gardens, Perth 0200 5 5 Asked /Informed Florence Place, Perth 1900 5 1 Asked / Informed, 2 FPN, 2 Reasonable Force Victoria Street, Perth 1900 4 4 Asked / Informed Newhouse Road, Perth 0300 4 4 Asked / Informed Tulloch Place, Perth 0800 3 3 Warned / Instructed Newhouse Road, Perth 0100 2 2 Asked / Informed Corriedene, Aberargie, 1600 2 2 Warned / Instructed Perth Marshal Place, Kinross 1700 2 2 Asked / Informed

Table 2c - Angus Subdivision Location Time No Action Langley Avenue, Montrose 2100 30 15 Asked / Informed, 15 Warned / Instructed Mallard Drive, Montrose 2300 11 11 Asked / Informed St Marys Road, Montrose 2300 10 10 Asked / Informed Fettes Way, Montrose 2200 10 10 Asked / Informed Strathmore Avenue, Forfar 2200 10 5 Asked / Informed, 5 Warned / Instructed Prior Road, Forfar 0100 7 7 Asked / Informed Kirkden Street, Monifieth 0000 7 7 Asked / Informed Section 17 – not held 0100 6 6 Asked / Informed

scotland.police.uk @PoliceScotland PoliceScotland OFFICIAL OFFICIAL

Bank Street, Arbroath 2300 6 2 Asked / Informed, 4 Warned / Instructed Kirkton Terrace, 0000 5 5 Asked / Informed Carnoustie

Table 2d - Fife Division Location Time No Action Hepburn Gardens, St 2300 30 30 Asked / Informed Andrews Kinghorn Road, 2200 27 27 Asked / Informed Alexandra Place, St Andrews 0100 20 10 Asked / Informed, 9 Warned / Instructed, 1 FPN Howard Place, St Andrews 0100 20 20 Asked / Informed Howard Place, St Andrews 0100 20 20 Warned / Instructed Howard Place, St Andrews 0100 20 20 Asked / Informed Abbotsford Place, St 0000 19 11 Asked / Informed, 8 Warned / Andrews Instructed Abbey Park Avenue, St 0000 18 8 Asked / Informed, 2 FPN, 8 Andrews Reasonable Force Mackintosh Halls, St Andrews 0000 18 18 Asked / Informed Abbotshall Place, St Andrews 2300 18 9 Asked / Informed, 9 Warned / Instructed Greyfriars Gardens, St 0000 18 10 Asked / Informed, 8 Warned / Andrews Instructed

Where marked, in terms of Section 17 of the Act, this letter represents a formal notice that information is not held.

Should you require any further assistance please contact Information Management - Highland & Islands Divisional Headquarters on 01463 720508, quoting the reference number given.

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which Police Scotland has dealt with your request, you are entitled, in the first instance, to request a review of our actions and decisions.

Your request must specify the matter which gives rise to your dissatisfaction and it must be submitted within 40 working days of receiving this response - either by email to [email protected] or by post to Information Management (Disclosure), Police Scotland, Clyde Gateway, 2 French Street, Dalmarnock, G40 4EH.

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of that review, you are thereafter entitled to apply to the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner within six months for a decision. You can apply online, by email to [email protected] or by post to Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

Should you wish to appeal against the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner's decision, there is an appeal to the Court of Session on a point of law only.

scotland.police.uk @PoliceScotland PoliceScotland OFFICIAL OFFICIAL

As part of our commitment to demonstrate openness and transparency in respect of the information we hold, an anonymised version of this response will be posted to the Police Scotland Freedom of Information Disclosure Log in seven days' time.

scotland.police.uk @PoliceScotland PoliceScotland OFFICIAL