It is unfair to be taking potshots at the police

LETTERS

THERE is much debate today over the Rangers celebrations in Glasgow over the weekend, with criticism of fans, the club, the police and anyone else you can think of (“Sturgeon tells Rangers fans: You’re risking lives by celebrating title win”, The Herald, March 8). There are some points, however, which have not been made.

I would like to focus on whether the police could and should have dealt with it better or even prevented it from happening. First and foremost, they cannot legally interfere where no crime has been committed – that is part of policing by consent.

Secondly, an outright ban would need to have come from the council, after considering a proposal for a gathering being presented. This event was not so planned and sanctioned.

Thirdly, apart from a number of older officers, most of the police have not yet been vaccinated and like everyone else, must observe the rules about distancing and the like unless it is absolutely necessary to do their job. This means close contact with anyone being arrested or having to be restrained in a violent situation. They are as likely as anyone else to catch the virus from such contact and then take it home with them.

Finally, how many officers would it have taken to have arrested or fined all those breaking the law in this situation? Considering how many reports we have heard of actions being taken, the manpower must be as depleted as in any other line of work by the numbers having to self-isolate after close contact, or being deliberately spat at and more.

How anyone decides to behave is a matter of responsibility and many have insisted that deciding to gather to celebrate is exercising their right to civil liberties. Perhaps they should ponder that exercising this right is, in present circumstances, also exercising a right to risk infecting or even killing someone else.

One person’s freedom should never endanger the freedom of another, as long as we claim to live in a civilised society.

L Mcgregor,

Falkirk.

Starting from 1, fill in the grid in a clockwise direction with four-letter words. The last letter of each word becomes the first letter of the next word. If you have correctly filled in the grid there should be a seven-letter key word reading across from 8.