People trying to "get around" lockdown rules remains biggest challenge in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Police say people are trying to “get around” lockdown rules – and it is one of the biggest challenges they currently face.
Police say people are trying to “get around” lockdown rules – and it is one of the biggest challenges they currently face.
A significant number of people are already contacting officers “trying to work their way around how far they can stretch the regulations”, North Yorkshire Police chief constable Lisa Winward told a York council meeting.
Under new lockdown rules people must stay at home and only go out for specific reasons, including to get essential food and medical supplies.
CC Winward said:
“There are already people contacting us in their droves, trying to work their way around how far they can stretch the regulations.
“We’ve had people contacting us saying ‘I know I can go out to exercise, we’re off work, our children are off school, can we go to the North York Moors for our one period of exercise for the day?’
“Local really does mean local – within your own city, town or village.
“The public are trying already to look at ways in which they can stretch those definitions.
“This is not about trying to get around police legislation – it’s about protecting the health of your family and friends.”
The force is seeing an increasing number of staff off sick, either after testing positive for coronavirus or being asked to self isolate.
CC Winward said absence levels are “putting some pressures on policing” – but reassured the health committee that the force is still able to carry out its full service.
The organisation is looking at rolling out regular symptom-free testing to get people back to work quicker and is calling for frontline staff to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
“We are looking at what point we can vaccinate our staff and officers who have that direct contact with the public, because it’s not always easy to distance from some of the people that we deal with, or have the time to put your PPE on before we have to lay hands on in some of those difficult circumstances,” CC Winward added.
She said there are also worries about more people with mental health issues coming into contact with police during this third lockdown.
The force saw an increase in mental health incidents in the first lockdown and police bosses fear they will see an even greater rise in coming weeks because it is winter rather than summer.