51 islanders ticketed for breaking rules of confinement

foto iv2020 drons3The Formentera Department of Interior reports that since the state of alarm was invoked, local law enforcement have written 51 citations to islanders who failed to comply with confinement orders, namely, by leaving home for activities not allowed under the emergency decree.

Last Friday, Formentera Local Police began using a drone to assist in patrols of the island, issuing fifteen tickets by the end of the weekend. According to Department of Interior chief Josep Marí, “most of the violators were located thanks to the drone, which affords a much wider visual scope than is usually possible in many parts of the island. Ground surveillance here can be quite tricky”.

In randomly selected areas of the island, the aircraft supports the police department’s normal surveillance operations by performing aerial sweeps of randomly selected areas of the island—flights that will continue as long as the state of alarm remains in force. A citation cannot be issued based on drone-captured images alone, rather, the location of possible offenders must first be determined and agents can issue a ticket once on the scene.

Drone operations, just one part of the island police force’s control measures in towns and on local roads, are meant to dissuade Formentera residents from violating the rules.


7 April 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera