Federation calls for clear guidance as lockdown is eased

22 February 2021

The chair of Humberside Police Federation says he’s not surprised by new figures that reveal only 10 per cent of police officers feel previous coronavirus laws and regulations were clear.

Now Pete Musgrave is calling for more clarity from the Government to enable fairer policing of lockdown restrictions.

Pete was speaking as the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) revealed that only one in 10 officers in England and Wales thought police powers previously introduced to manage the coronavirus crisis were clear.

The demand, capacity and welfare survey also found only 24 per cent of respondents felt the ‘Four E’s’ (engage, explain, encourage and enforce) approach was effective when enforcing the new police powers.

Pete said: “These figures are disappointing but not surprising. The mixed messaging and lack of guidance has meant my colleagues and the public alike are often unclear what the rules are.

“That has made our job that little bit more difficult. While the vast majority of people have worked with us to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the public, there’s always an element who want to take advantage of any confusion for their own benefit.

“Whenever changes to lockdown restrictions came in during the last 11 months, my colleagues enforced those new rules often at very short notice.

“But they need clearer rules which can be enforced fairly, and the public need clearer instructions so they know what they’re allowed to do within the law.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is today (Monday) expected to announce a “roadmap” for easing Covid-19 measures in England.

And PFEW chair John Apter has echoed Pete’s message by urging the Government to introduce clear guidelines.

John said: “We’ve been saying from the beginning, clear guidance on what people can and can’t do is needed; otherwise people will inadvertently fall foul of the law or may take advantage of the mixed messages. And it’s my colleagues who are on the frontline of these changes, continually playing catch-up to get their heads around the latest information.” 

The new report also contains a number of personal testimonies from frontline officers, including those who have contracted Covid-19 while on duty, and those who’ve faced the virus being weaponised against them.

• Almost a third of respondents (32 per cent) reported that a member of the public, believed to be carrying Covid-19, had purposely threatened to breathe or cough on them at least once over the past six months; with nearly a quarter reporting actual attempts at doing so

• 26 per cent of respondents believed they had already had Covid-19, and 45 per cent of these felt they had contracted the virus through work-related activities.

 The national chair added: “I suggest the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and Governments of England and Wales read this report very carefully. Then they can attempt to explain to my colleagues on the frontline why, after the most vulnerable have been vaccinated, they should not be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccination.”