Police forces and local councils will receive an additional £60 million to step up their enforcement of coronavirus rules as part of the Government’s plans to tackle the rise in infections.
The surge funding, recently announced by the Prime Minister, will enable police to increase patrols in town centres and ensure that people are complying with the new restrictions, particularly in high-risk areas. Police will also provide more support to Local Authorities and NHS Test & Trace to enforce self-isolation requirements.
Local councils will use the funding to increase their compliance work and enforcement checks on businesses.
Local councils play a central role in ensuring compliance with COVID-19 guidance in their local communities. Enforcement officers such as Environmental Health Officers are responsible for explaining and encouraging businesses and communities to follow the latest guidelines, carrying out inspections, issuing fines and closing premises in the case of non-compliance.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has said:
“The vast majority of the British public has come together, followed the law and helped prevent the spread of this virus.
“But we’ve been clear that, with infections rising, we will not allow a small minority of people to reverse our hard-won progress.
“This extra funding will strengthen the police’s role in enforcing the law and make sure that those who jeopardise public health face the consequences.”
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The Government will also publish new guidance outlining the types of compliance and enforcement activities councils could carry out using the £30 million funding. This includes covering costs associated with stepping up enforcement activity, measures to help the public and businesses to understand the latest regulations and funding the cost of dedicated staff to encourage compliance with the rules, including Marshals.
Marshals, or stewards and ambassadors as they are referred to in some areas, have already been rolled out successfully by many councils to help businesses and communities to follow the latest guidelines, freeing up the police and other enforcement officers such as Environmental Health Officers. They do not carry out an enforcement role, which continues to be the role of the police and designated local council enforcement officers. Instead, they can work with local businesses on queue management, direct pedestrians and support social distancing in busy public areas, remind members of the public to wear a face-covering where it’s required and help with the regular cleaning of touch points.
The £60 million funding will be divided equally between police and local councils, with both receiving a £30 million share.
The funding will be provided to police only for use in relation to coronavirus enforcement. Forces will be required to provide the Home Office with enforcement plans to demonstrate how the money is being used to tackle non-compliance with public health rules.
Waste of tax payers money again !!!
It’s the flu get over it people Jesus Christ….
You are right. The next panic will be getting ready for the third wave in the spring. Its here get used to it.
Bob. It is not Influenza. It is Covid-19. It usually doesn’t kill you but if you are vulnerable, it will make you very, very unwell.
A BILL to make provision for … ” the authorization of criminal conduct in the course of, or otherwise in connection with, the conduct of covert human intelligence sources.” – Not fiction, now being pushed through Parliament by Johnson and Patel. In layman’s terms…immunity from prosecution for UK Police.
That is where your money is going, just ask half a sausage.
Where are they going to get all these extra police etc to do patrols? Put simply there are not enough to carry all these checks out. Nothing will change. I was in Morrison’s lake and you queue up to be directed to the tills and the girl given this job was not wearing a mask! She would have everyone in that shop close to her and I thought it was compulsory now for staff too. Whenever I see people not wearing them they are never approached and told. That’s without the lack of social distancing everywhere you go.
Do not give a penny to our Council as it wont be spent on what it is intended for, instead, send the Councillors out to enforce it, they are overpaid for the mess they are creating.
A very worrying development in control