Pandemic rules United view on enforcement of Covid laws unlikely
ISPOKE to the constabulary’s senior leaders recently and reminded them that the latest Covid-19 legislation had restricted our freedoms in ways that would have been unimaginable 12 months ago. I also stressed the importance of maintaining the public’s support and not taking it for granted.
So, when the constabulary received £229,000 from the Government to beefup enforcement, I immediately asked the Chief Constable what that would mean.
We then shared his explanation with the public in a webcast so that everyone knew where they stood.
Twenty-four hours later, the Welsh lockdown was announced.
The chief was clear that having engaged, explained and encouraged for many weeks, flagrant breaches of the rule of six, whether by eight students having a beer in a hall of residence or a similar size dinner party in the Cotswolds, were now more likely to result in enforcement. To me, that sounded clear and proportionate. Let’s be clear, the police have operational independence but they are also accountable; first to the law and second to their police and crime commissioner and so I sought an explanation.
It transpired the constabulary had been running an operation in the Forest in response to community concerns around burglary, cycle theft and other rural crimes as well as reports of overcrowding at local tourist spots with the consequential lack of social distancing. Part of that operation involved checking motorists thought to be on leisure trips to England from Wales, which from 6pm on Friday, October 23, was against Welsh law.
Whatever your view, and it has generated a fair amount of mail in my intray, I am satisfied they were trying to do right. Some got it wrong and in the finest traditions of policing they’ve been held to account by me, the public and the media. The operation continues but has been refined.
As commissioner I must give the public a voice, yet with winter approaching, infections soaring, differing restrictions and laws not just across
England but also across the Union, the chances of a united view on enforcement are, at best, unlikely.
There is no handbook for policing a pandemic.
All views are valid but while respecting and protecting their operational independence, the police must act proportionally, lawfully and be accountable and on that I really hope we can all agree.