How will the executive order be enforced in SWFL?

We all know by now that we’re expected to stay near our homes and limit what we do, but who’s going to make sure the order is being followed?

Streets and parking lots around Southwest Florida are already mostly empty, with so many people choosing to stay home and avoid the spread of COVID-19.

When it comes to enforcing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new ‘safer at home’ order, Marco Island Police said those who violate it could face civil sanctions, fines and/or criminal charges.

But education seemed to the overall message in Southwest Florida.

“First and foremost with any new law or order, our goal is to obtain compliance from the community. We are fortunate to have a community that wants to comply and do the right thing,” said Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk.

The sheriff also said that under the governor’s order, non-compliance could land you with a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.

“Today, for those who do not want to comply, we now have the ability to take enforcement action under the order as given. And in addition to that, there are going to be very few essential services operating between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. So, if we run into you, we are going to be happy to help you get to the service that you need to go to,” Rambosk said.

In Lee County, the sheriff’s office said they’ve deployed school resource officers, and they’re asking you to take the executive order seriously.

“The last resort, we don’t want to make a difficult situation worse, but we can give a notice to appear or we can arrest and we will if we need to,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.

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