VALDOSTA – Police are cracking down on large gatherings.

In a Thursday morning press release, the Valdosta Police Department announced it would start enforcing the rules about residents who participate in large gatherings during the COVID-19 outbreak.

People who disregard warnings from police officers will be charged with a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail, according to the release.

Gov Brian Kemp defined large gatherings as including 10 or more people in a March 23 press conference, but Valdosta City Manager Mark Barber declined to provide a specific number citing that some residents would attempt gatherings just under the cutoff number while continuing to break social distancing guidelines.

The city’s decision comes after a weekend when VPD answered more than 75 calls and complaints about large gatherings of approximately 15-75 people between 8 p.m. Friday and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Barber.

The gatherings included block parties and outdoor events that blocked city streets and created disturbances, according to the city statement.

Those gatherings resulted in a few arrests, but not for gathering en masse.

“Two or three people were arrested for unrelated charges such as an outstanding warrant and disorderly conduct,” but there were no arrests made specifically for large gatherings as of 11:23 a.m. Thursday, according to a city statement in response to Valdosta Daily Times open records request.

VPD Lt. Scottie Johns confirmed one person was arrested for having an active arrested warrant, a woman was arrested for disorderly conduct, and officers took an arrest warrant on a man for disorderly conduct in a crowd that officers were dispersing but he could not release his information because the suspect had not been officially arrested Thursday afternoon. 

“The folks being arrested are people we asked to leave peacefully which we will continue to do,” Barber said. “If they choose to not leave peacefully, they will be arrested.”

The weekend gatherings violated Kemp’s executive order, which applies to indoor gatherings in people’s home as well, according to the city statement.

On Facebook, there were videos posted during the weekend depicting groups of 25 or more people congregating at nighttime parties.

“These gatherings are irresponsible and go against all efforts that are being put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. If members of our community will not protect each other and continue to gather in public places creating disturbances in our community, we will be forced to take action as we did this past weekend,” Police Chief Leslie Manahan said in a statement. “While we are out enforcing these crowds, we are putting our officers at an unjust risk of exposure. This reckless behavior is potentially endangering the entire community.”