Police ask the public to confront other people who are not following guidelines

[chomalungma]

Because they have been overwhelmed by calls.

I heard it this morning on the Today news section on Radio 4. Haven't seen it elsewhere...yet

They said things like "Getting calls saying their neighbour has been out twice today for exercise"

AIBU to think this sounds like a really bad idea.

They won't pay attention will they? My neighbour told me their builders were coming back to plaster their house and I replied that I was surprised they weren't at home. She cheerfully replied that they were going to be socially distancing so it was allowed. What bollocks. There is 10 of them for weeks inside a 3 bed semi, albeit now one with a loft extension. I'm more bothered about the workers who are sharing a van, very close to each other and young men who have been told to get back to work. I could hear their boss being pretty nasty to them and could also hear them talking between themselves about how they're not meant to be out and about. If people don't give a shit, they don't give a shit.

How is this going to help, how can or should the public intervene when we aren't allowed within 2 meters of eachother. I certainly won't be putting myself at risk by attempting martial law on my dog walk should i see bbqing or picnics taking place. I will stay well away thankyou!!

Knew this wouldn't take long because the police cuts already in force before this doesn't leave many police to help in this situation.

Its exactly what the government want us to do to attack our neighbours with questions. People from minority ethnic communities are being disproportionately questioned by neighbours and police. People generally just need to keep their noses to themselves I feel and stop photographing their neighbours. All the busy bodies are not going to change the minds of the people who (for various reasons) appear to flout the rules. My neighbours (adult) son is severely mentally unwell and a danger to himself. He is out several times per day walking and pacing people are telling his parents to keep him in but he is 36 years old not 5 years old. If he were to stay in the risk to his and his parent's health would be terrible. I feel like telling the curtain twitchers to just keep their noses out.

onanothertrain
That will have some people on here pissing themselves with excitement

How true, all the busybody, curtain twitching, tittle tattlers will think their birthday and Christmas have come at once.

There have been plenty on here getting in a froth about what other people are or aren't doing. If it doesn't impact on them I would love to know why. I assume they lead very empty lives and they've at last found a hobby.

I can see all the middle aged male woman hating vigilantes slavering at this opportunity to harass and bully women.

No disrespect to the OP - or the 30 subsequent posters, but can I be the first to ask for a cite and a link to something official, please ? I know how old fashioned that must seem in these modern times.

Anyone tempted to confront strangers should be very careful about choosing their targets. Situations can escalate very quickly, even if you think you are justified and polite in your interrogation/criticism, the other party might not take it very well. So before launching in, weigh up the risk to yourself - if it gets physical, are you confident you could get the upper hand? If not, best leave them alone and look for someone weaker to pick upon.

Of all the fucking stupid ideas

I thought police chiefs had already reached peak stupidity
Clearly not, if that R4 report is correct - we really do need a link though

Neighbours being encouraged to confront each other is just inviting property damage and / or physical fights between neighbours,
when tempers are already frayed

Sorry but I don’t believe this until you can provide a credible link to this. You may have misheard what was said. I really believe that this is something that would warrant a lot of media attention as they love something controversial.

No disrespect to the OP - or the 30 subsequent posters, but can I be the first to ask for a cite and a link to something official, please ? I know how old fashioned that must seem in these modern times.

A quick "old fashioned" google does the job.

It's behind a paywall, but it's there.

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/13/tell-neighbours-breach-lockdown-rules-say-police/

From the beginning of the Telegraph article:

Police are advising the public to tell off people guilty of “one-off” breaches of the lockdown rulesrather than report them to their force.

The move follows claims thatsome forces have been inundated with calls and reportsabout people flouting the restrictions with many including minor breaches such as neighbours going on two runs in a day.

It has, however, provoked concerns from civil liberty groups that it could damage community and neighbourly relations if people start taking each other to task forminor infractions of the rules.

“Overzealous and intrusive policing will harm public trust and could undermine the goodwill people have shown to change the way they live and comply with regulations, but there’s also the potential for real and lasting harm to those already at risk of being over-policed,”

Then the Police will be dealing with assaults, as none of this will end well. If you've got someone stressed already, somebody then questioning them could more than likely end up with a fist in their face.

It's crazy to even suggest this.

This would definitely lead to harassment of certain groups - women, ethnic minorities, disabled people - in fact any group that the ' law upholder' doesn't like. It's also not upholding social distancing.
Anyone who tried to question us would be getting a big fat fuck off out of our space from me.

Most of the tellers off/curtain twitchers don't actually understand the guidelines.

@Underhisi or have the balls to actually do anything if it did kick off

No the exact opposite on the news last night. DO NOT CONFRONT.
There has already been one murder. Just dont

Police were on my local news (BBC) last night telling people NOT to do this.

It is a terrible idea. When has informant, vigilante behaviour ever lead to anything but violence, mistaken identity, social unrest and mistrust.
Police have cocked up.

Most of the tellers off/curtain twitchers don't actually understand the guidelines.

They don't want to understand the guidelines. They've made up their own ones, in all their fulsome superiority.

Totally not going to end well!

Might be highly amusing to watch though!
(In my small, and quite up-itself village, especially if anyone from the next village walks here!)

I've already had some very hard, meaningful stares when (legitimately) out with my child. At least one clear attempt at proper intimidation. Fortunately, I've got a good hard stare myself, so he had a think and backed off.

But I expect now these people will feel emboldened and as a result there will be verbal confrontation. Marvellous.

Do the police understand that this is going to escalate matters and cause the public to feel so unsafe venturing out that average people may start arming themselves in order to defend themselves (potentially making themselves and others less safe)? Do the police realise that this could increase both assaults and knife crime, even in demographics where that previously was not an issue?

What's even the point of relinquishing our right to defend ourselves in exchange for the services of the police, if the police now actively advocate vigilantism? They are breaking the contract and therefore people will act accordingly to physically protect themselves. Actual street anarchy.

It's madness.

Thing is most of the curtain twitches don’t even understand the rules themselves. The ones that do understand the rules haven’t got they balls to confront dave about shopping twice a week they just like frothing at the month.

A quick "old fashioned" google does the job.

Do you something that is even more "old fashioned" than Google ?

They etiquette that the person making the assertions provides the link.

Goes back a few thousand years to the Greeks. Along with civilisation and democracy.

P1nkHeartLovesCake

The issue is that they may feel comfortable confronting Anna or Aisha, and those demographics will take the brunt of their misplaced anger.

@P1nkHeartLovesCake you are spot on.