These are strange times that we are living in and the new measure imposed by the government, in particular the new police powers, gives us all cause to stop and think. I am not surprised that these measures have had to be introduced given some people’s disregard for the need to isolate and distance ourselves socially.

It is at the same time a worrying development as far as policing is concerned, as police have always policed by consent in this country, seen effectively as citizens in uniform. To actually change the way in which police behave in a more radical way – now as an agent of the state – is a big step forward.

What are the new measures?

The new measures came into force last week and will be reviewed every three weeks, as announced on 23rd March 2020.

Those continuing to break the rules around Coronavirus will be breaking the law and may face arrest. We are now expected to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel.

Essential travel includes:                                                               

• A wellbeing outing – one form of distanced exercise per day
• Shopping for basic necessities
• To work – only if this is deemed necessary and cannot be done from home
• Medical needs – to help or care for a vulnerable person

If you are seen to be breaking these rules officers can now:

• Intervene and disperse groups
• Issue a £60 fine, or issue a £120 fine for second-time offences and more for repeated offence
• Ensure parents are taking all necessary steps to stop children from breaking the rules

How will it affect people in their daily life?

I suspect that most people will not notice what is going on, unless the flout the rules.

The majority of us are doing as told - working from home and staying home.

Last week on Dale Street, as the last of our staff made the necessary amendments to work from home, we saw police officers getting out of a van and patrolling the street. This is not something you usually see, so it’s clear that the police will take these changes seriously, taking steps to make sure these rules are observed.

Daily life will be different, as this time is most unusual, but what the police do should not impact most of us.

Is the police’s power warranted?

These are unprecedented times, and it is still early days. The practicalities of policing in lockdown will be challenging for the police and in order to keep the public safe, they may well need to use these powers in order to do that.

These powers will have to be used in a way that enforces the measures and we will see how they do so as it develops.

It is important for everyone in society to realise that the police are doing a job here for the betterment of all, to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are not damaged through the spread of Coronavirus.

What is your message to people in the current situation?

This is a time for reflection, a time for being courteous and kind to each other. This must also include the police.

I spend a lot of my time criticising the police and holding them to account for where they do not use their powers properly, but equally they have a difficult job to do and I am of the view that we do not need to make this job any tougher than it already is.

If it turns out that the police do abuse these powers, then I am sure they will be held to account in the long run. For now though, the job of keeping us all safe, ensuring that the NHS can do its job to look after the health of the nation is paramount.