Letters special Where are the police when thieves strike?
There have been numerous cases where the police have taken it upon themselves to deny members of the public their liberty using the powers they feel they have been given under the current lockdown.
Where were all these constables in the past when people were being mugged?
I was under the impression that there was such a shortage of officers that we could not afford ‘bobbies on the beat’. But here we are with swarms of them applying the law as they see it.
Could it have something to do with the easy nature of the target, in that most of the wave of offenders will pay the fine (which makes this a fundraising exercise) and will not cause any hassle to the police?
The heavy-handed nature of the application of the Government advice will cost the police in the future by a lack of co-operation from the individuals they appear to enjoy bullying.
R. Allen,
What part of ‘Stay in your own home’ don’t people understand? I live near the sea in Dorset and loads of holidaymakers and second-home owners have suddenly appeared here.
The only way to get the message across to everyone is to have a standard fine of £1,000, and then, say, £5,000 for a second offence. No ifs and no buts. I bet the unnecessary journey-makers would then stop within days. Peter Pinker, Bridport
When we hear that people call 999 because there is trouble with their pizza delivery, we should not be surprised that some are not staying at home and saving lives. John Collins, Chelmsford
So the Government has decided it might be a good idea to wear masks. It has been obvious from the beginning we should do this. It may not keep you from catching this horrible virus but it will reduce the risk of you passing it on. Why were supermarket checkout staff not instantly supplied with masks? Any one of them could have infected 500 people in a day. M. Thompson, Greenock, Renfrewshire
I was moved to tears last Sunday when reading the latest diary entries of an NHS doctor, which explained the horrific details of people dying on wards due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the past three weeks, many such stories have come out from various hospitals. Imagine then, my disgust and astonishment after reading Maureen Lipman’s article on the same page, in which she said the lockdown was ‘not that different from being a resting actor’. What planet is Ms Lipman on? The mental health of some people is suffering from being cramped up in one-bedroom apartments due to the lockdown. Domestic abuse figures are rising because of the lockdown. People are facing endless debt due to the lockdown. Yet Ms
Lipman compares that with being a resting actor? Roger King, Worcester
When an inquiry is held into the Covid-19 pandemic, I hope it looks at the roles and responsibilities of those NHS managers who pick up big salaries. The Government is being blamed for the lack of PPE and ventilators, etc., but what are these administrators doing? A risk register should have been maintained and regularly reviewed. Hugh Gilmour, Houston, Renfrewshire
Fewer cars are on the road, aircraft are grounded, businesses are closed and individual liberty is curtailed. The economy is collapsing and mass unemployment beckons.
Could this be what a zero-carbon economy might be like? Malcolm Parkin, Kinross
Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in a cell measuring 8ft by 7ft. We have nothing to complain about. K. Bennett, Fowey, Cornwall