Officers urged to use Track and Trace app
1 October 2020
West Midlands Police Federation is encouraging its members to use the Track and Trace app to help halt the spread of coronavirus.
Officers are being asked to download the contact-tracing app to their personal phones and use it while working.
It comes after the Federation approached the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) on behalf of members following confusion over guidelines from police chiefs advising officers not to download the app on work phones.
The Federation’s support for the app to be used on personal phones came after discussions with the app developers and colleagues from the National Cyber Security Centre.
Jon Nott, West Midlands Police Federation chair, said: “It’s clear with infection rates on the rise and local lockdowns being introduced the threat from coronavirus is still very much here.
“It’s important to recognise we all need to take responsibility for controlling the spread of the virus and this app is one of the weapons in our armoury to help do that.
“This app will help trace the contacts of people who become infected and to encourage isolation to help stem the spread, which is a key part of the public safety campaign alongside social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment and good hygiene.”
The national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, 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.”
