Challenging year for public order looming

THE YEAR ahead will be challenging for police officers with fears over resourcing and a continued rise in assaults, it has been warned.

The potential re-opening of the night time economy in June, coupled with the delayed Euro 2020 football tournament and the G7 Summit in Cornwall, could lead to resourcing issues due to the majority of police officers not receiving the Covid-19 vaccination, the chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

Brian Booth made his predictions as he praised officers across the county for the way they policed the pandemic over the last 12 months.

Mr Booth said: “This year, policing will have some unique challenges.

“We have the potential reopening of the night time economy in June, which coincides with the Euro football tournament. It is deeply worrying that our officers will be in the thick of this, and yet the vast majority of them will not have had the vaccine. It could lead to a resourcing issue.”

Mr Booth is angered that despite a challenging summer ahead, officers will still not have a place in the priority vaccination queue. He said: “Throughout the pandemic, West Yorkshire Police officers have had to police last minute law changes and suffered vile assaults in the process. They’re now facing a challenging summer ahead, so why do they still not have a place in the vaccination queue?

“To say it’s been a challenging year for police officers is an understatement. Covid-19 has brought some of the biggest curtailment on our civil liberties in a lifetime, all in the interest of public safety.”