Police are expected to enforce laws they feel are harmful.. damned if they do, damned if they don’t
Cops struggle to balance priorities in pandemic
I’VE MET A LOT of cops. Twenty years of covering crime will do that.
From beat bobbies to chief constables, good cops and bad apples. I know what they have to put up with, when they’ve done a great job and when they’ve messed up.
So I’ve been watching the debates surrounding recent events in London and Glasgow with interest.
When Rangers won the league, a few thousand fans gathered outside Ibrox stadium where they sang, kissed, cuddled and danced – social distancing and health risks be damned.
Police Scotland then escorted them to George Square, where the celebrations continued and some troublemakers indulged in vandalism.
The following weekend, hundreds of women descended on Clapham Common in London to hold a vigil for murdered Sarah Everard. But events soon turned ugly as predominantly male police officers were seen physically confronting women, restraining them on the ground and tussling with them.
Over-zealousness and aggression versus apparent inaction and authorisation.
Everyone has a view and everyone thinks they’re right.
My feelings were mixed. I’m old enough to know cops on the ground were just following orders.
Marshalling the Rangers fans to George Square seemed like the logical thing to do to avoid violent confrontations between police and fans. Trying to disperse alcoholfuelled masses brings about the risk of more violence.
But at the same time, I’ve seen them disperse large crowds safely in the past.
It’s easy be “armchair experts” when it comes to public safety, to criticise and demand action so there isn’t a repeat of scenes such as the ones in Glasgow and London. But unacceptable from who? The public or the police?
It’s right that questions need to be asked of senior officers who didn’t take action in the days before when it became apparent victory would hand Rangers the league title. Why did it become a reactive situation when the internet was full of intelligence some fans planned to gather?
It’s baffling that early intervention wasn’t taken, but then police were quick enough to take action over the planned vigils in Edinburgh and Glasgow last weekend, warning women to stay away or risk fines and/or arrest.
And that takes us to the disgraceful scenes in London. Why didn’t the Met allow the women to continue with their vigil as they had done most of the day? Why did they change tactics which saw a peaceful gathering turn into a bitter fight ending in arrests?
In both situations, it’s turned into a war of words between police, politicians, campaigners, the public and football clubs.
Throughout the pandemic the public messaging has been confusing. Ever-changing rules from governments create dilemmas for police.
This weekend, Celtic and Rangers meet for their first game since New Year. Both sets of fans have been warned by police and clubs to stay away.
But the crux of the problem remains – police are expected to enforce laws they feel are harmful. Impacting on civil liberties and freedoms is not what police do in this country.
The framework they have to work with looks easy on paper – the reality of policing in a pandemic is much harder. Finding a balance that’s acceptable to all is tricky – they don’t always get it right. It’s a case of damned if they do and damned if they don’t.