Public urged to stick to lockdown

5 January 2021

Members of the public must play their part in helping protect the NHS and keep others safe, says the chair of Derbyshire Police Federation.

Tony Wetton, responding to the Government’s announcement of a third national lockdown last night, said the police would, as ever, be encouraging people to abide by the rules and challenging those who didn’t.

“We are in the midst of a national crisis and we all have to do our bit so that we can come through this pandemic,” says Tony, “Just at the point where we saw some light at the end of the tunnel, the new variant has spread rapidly across the country causing misery and devastating families in a way we hoped we had got past last year.”

“The Number 1 priority right now is to try to protect the NHS which is under huge pressure as more and more people contract the virus and many hundreds of people lose their lives on a daily basis.

“We understand that the sacrifices we are all being asked to make are frustrating and difficult but we all have to stay at home and only go out for the very limited reasons set out by the Government.

“Police officers will continue to be out and about engaging with the public, explaining the rules if necessary, encouraging people to follow them and enforcing those rules when clear breaches are identified.  We have all, as members of the public, had nine months or so to understand the restrictions placed upon us and the dire potential consequences for vulnerable others if we fail to observe them.  There can be little excuse now for wilful breaches of the rules and police officers will enforce clear breaches robustly. 

“My message to anyone who selfishly puts an officer in a position where they have to take enforcement action against them in these desperate circumstances is “Shame on you!”.  The sooner we get the virus back under control and roll out the vaccines, the sooner we can all get back to a more normal way of life.”

John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has also asked the public to play their part in keeping each other safe.

He explained: “With the new variant of the Covid-19 virus spreading so quickly it comes as no surprise that a new lockdown has been put in place. More people are contracting the virus and more are dying from it. Our hospitals are struggling to cope: these are tough times.

“It’s essential that people heed the new rules and stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Police officers will continue to do their best in these unprecedented times but I accept these next few months are going to be difficult on an emotional, psychological and practical level. However, we must all pull together.”