Exhausted police officers have been tested by the challenges of the past year - but are ready to rise to the challenge of unlocking, Kent Police Federation has said.

14 July 2021

Neil Mennie, Chair of Kent Police Federation, has given his reaction to England lockdown rules coming to end on Monday (19 July).

Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen for the first time since March 2020 and capacity limits will be removed for all venues and events.

There will no longer be any limits on how many people can meet and the 1m-plus distancing rule will be removed.

Neil said: “We have come out of a very, very difficult period whereby officers have been working within the Covid restrictions and trying to manage their home lives and all of the trials that went along with that. They have seen a series of challenges over the past year, and my concern going forward is that they are tired already.

“Once we unlock there will be additional demand from large events and the night time economy, all of which is going to attract a surge of interest and attendance. So looking to the months ahead we will have an even busier time than we would have normally. However, colleagues are still dedicated and working hard despite all the pressures they are under.”

The force will now have to balance the high workload with the high demand, and Neil warned that it “it is not surprising that some people may feel the effects”

He said: ‘“Officers are in a reasonable place now despite all the challenges thrown at them. But that is how officers are.”

The service is ready to face the challenges of the summer and beyond, he added. COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Glasgow in November will require officers on mutual aid from around the country and will pose the next big demand, Neil said.

One of the effects of the lockdowns mean that many of the new recruits policing Kent will be inexperienced, he added.

Neil said: “We are concerned about this. During the lockdown period, recruitment has continued at quite a pace and we have a generation of officers that have not had the opportunity to undertake normal policing including elements such as night-time economy and large gatherings and large public events.

“We are going to be heavily reliant on senior tutors and mentors to bring these officers up to the mark. We rely heavily on experienced officers anyway, and hopefully that won’t place too much demand on them. They will rise to the challenge as they always do.”

Speaking at the Press Conference in Downing Street earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the public "don't tear the pants out of" the unlocking.

He added: "Don't be demob happy about this - this is not the end of Covid. It requires constant vigilance...you should not have a jubilee."