Officers urged to use Track and Trace app

30 September 2020

Officers are being encouraged by Humberside Police Federation to use the Track and Trace app to help stem the spread of coronavirus.

The Federation is asking officers to download the contact-tracing app to their personal phone and use it while working.

Federation chair Pete Musgrave said: “We can see with infection rates rising and the introduction of local lockdowns that the threat from coronavirus hasn’t gone away.

“We have to do everything we can to halt the spread, and to protect ourselves, our families, our colleagues and the people in our communities.

“That includes using the Track and Trace app which is another tool available to us alongside the use of personal protective equipment, social distancing, good hygiene and self-isolating when necessary.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales approached the National Police Chiefs’ Council on behalf of members following confusion over guidelines from police chiefs advising officers not to download the app on work phones.

But the Federation is supporting the use of the app on personal phones after discussions with the app developers and colleagues from the National Cyber Security Centre.

John Apter, national Federation chair, added: “It’s, of course, a personal decision if officers now want to download the app. However, we would encourage and urge our 120,000 members to do so for their own safety.” 

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