Police officers have been left damned if they do, damned if they don’t during Coronavirus crisis

30 November 2020

Having to police the public during the ongoing coronavirus crisis has sadly had the side-effect of putting police officers against the public they serve, Essex Police Federation has said.

Laura Heggie, Federation Chair, said officers have often been dammed if they do, dammed if they don’t during the crisis as have tried to engage, explain, encourage and – if necessary – enforce.

Laura said: “We are there to enforce the laws and sometimes people don’t want to hear that because people want to do what they want to do. But as we’ve already seen, the result of that during this pandemic is people dying. So the rules are there for a reason and they have to be enforced.

“We are sadly seen sometimes as the bad guys and girls, but I certainly know that within Essex, officers have been approaching this very much from the educational point of view rather than the enforcement.

“Yes, we’ve been telling people what the restrictions are and making sure that they’re aware, and if they’re breaching them asking them to stop. We are very much stuck in the middle, but we’ve got a job to do.”

Broadcaster Piers Morgan rushed to police officers’ defence earlier this month, saying that they have been put in an “incredibly difficult position where they’re told to enforce it – they get the blame. If they don’t enforce it they get the blame. Whatever they do they get the blame.”

He was speaking after John Apter, Police Federation of England and Wales Chair, warned that officers are being scapegoated: “Police officers are being portrayed by some as the villains during this pandemic. That’s insulting and so unfair. We are damned if we do and dammed if we don’t.

“Criticised by some for enforcing too much, others say it’s not enough. Phone cameras put in their faces when they try to speak with people. Assaults on police have increased during the pandemic. Weaponising the virus by spitting and coughing at police officers is sadly the norm. We know this isn’t easy on anybody, we are doing our best in the most difficult of circumstances. Like our colleagues in the NHS and other parts of the public sector my colleagues are exhausted, the pressure on them is relentless.

“Police officers are human beings doing an extraordinary job. We are not trying to spoil people’s fun or ruin Christmas, we’re trying to stop this deadly virus taking more lives. The vast majority of the public understand this and support us. We are not the enemy.”