A mix of Covid-19 and Christmas could make it a difficult time for policing

30 November 2020

The upcoming “Covid-19” Christmas could prove to be a particularly difficult time for policing, Essex Police Federation has warned.

Laura Heggie, Federation Chair, said: “Christmas will be business as usual for officers, as it has been throughout this pandemic. But now they are facing new challenges with the brief unlocking of any lockdown.

“The restrictions are changing what seems like every two minutes and it’s hard enough for the public to keep up with them and we’re expecting officers to be able to educate and if need be enforce them. So it’s really, really challenging for officers at work.

“And despite all the rules against it, we are seeing big events being held which we then have to police. We just attended one in Basildon where more than 150 people came together to demonstrate against restrictions. That requires a lot of officers to police, alongside the number of unlicensed music events that have been going on throughout the pandemic.”

Christmas will be very difficult to police, Laura added, as families will most likely make the most of the rule relaxations.

She added: “It is going to be really difficult for officers as it often is at Christmas because you’re leaving loved ones to come to work, so it’s a testing time anyway. One household could be one person or it could be six people. How can you stop four people coming together if they’re from four households? Restrictions like this are unpoliceable.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales said officers will “step up to the challenge”, but called for more clarity from the Government.

Ché Donald, National Vice Chair of the Police Federation, said: “Police officers are human beings who are doing an extraordinary job in extraordinary circumstances. However, a potential short-term relaxation of COVID-19 regulations and a return to the tier system represents a unique challenge and will be next to impossible to police.

“We will not be trying to spoil people’s fun or ruin Christmas – we’re trying to stop this deadly virus taking more lives.”