to have felt this was unnecessarily aggressive

[nickytjj]

ok so this happened some time ago but I still think about it and feel it was an inappropriate and aggressive response.

I live in Ireland and at the height of the pandemic the whole country was in heavy lockdown. The rules were clear from the top and we all had to follow them. I worked in schools and they were very strict with masks having to be worn, staff having to be in separate staffrooms etc.

Bars,gyms and restaurants etc were long term closed. It sucked but that's the way it was and as somebody who was in the UK for some of the pandemic I can say that Ireland appeared to be stricter and the lockdowns were longer and more severe ime.

Anyway one night I was out for a sit in the park in the and two police men came across a guy loitering nearby. They seemed to know the guy and I think he was homeless. The guy was not doing anything untoward so it wasn't an emergency situation where they had to act fast. They approached him and began searching him. They weren't wearing masks or gloves which I thought was going against the guidance.

After they searched him I politely asked them are they not supposed to be wearing masks and gloves for the pandemic to stop the disease spreading? 1 of them aggressively shone his torch right in my eyes and shouted (actually shouted loud) ''go mind your own business.''

AIBU to think this was a needless act of aggressiveness and abuse? As a teacher I can't imagine the trouble I'd get in if I were to address a member of the public like that who were questioning a procedure in the school that was going against appropriate and safe behaviour and indeed breaking government legislation.

You've no idea of the circumstances and they don't appear to have physically abused him in any way so it wouldn't concern me.
In terms of human rights I'm sure it's hardly a huge deal.

You've no idea of the circumstances and they don't appear to have physically abused him in any way so it wouldn't concern me

what has physical abuse got to do with it? My point was that they were supposed to be wearing gloves and masks to stop the spread of the virus. That was the rules for everybody here.

Obviously should have been following procedures (whatever that was at the time re: ppe) and yes they appeared (from your version anyway) to deliberately intimidate, you but what’s the point in ruminating over it now? It happened years ago, the potentially homeless man was fine, you were ok… absolutely pointless to be thinking about this so much to start a thread on it tbh.

Is there a back story, why are you still so Focused on this?

It happened years ago, the potentially homeless man was fine, you were ok

It happened last year, not that long ago. Ireland only came out of its heavy lockdown around July 2021. And point was not about the homeless man ''being fine'' and they could have given him the virus and killed him for all we know.

And why is it important that I was ''ok'', my point was that they intimidated me for asking a reasonable question.

YANBU. Those who are employed to enforce the rules should follow them. They knew they were in the wrong which is why they resorted to shouting at you. They could have spoken to you politely in the same manner you spoke to them.

Did they have to wear masks while outside(and were gloves ever a mandatory requirement)? I'm in Ireland too and I don't actually know the answer to the question. I know masks were mandatory in enclosed spaces but were they in the circumstances you describe?

Is there a back story, why are you still so Focused on this

no backstory but as a law abiding tax payer, I expect respect from them in the same way I respect the parents in teaching and treat them with respect. I am angry that I didn't complain about it.

I’m o sure you didn’t have to wear masks and gloves outside even in Ireland.

A year ago ! Go make a complaint at police station instead of mumsnet if it has bothered you that much

Did they have to wear masks while outside(and were gloves ever a mandatory requirement)? I'm in Ireland too and I don't actually know the answer to the question. I know masks were mandatory in enclosed spaces but were they in the circumstances you describe

I'm pretty sure they were yes, they were physically touching the guy so it was close contact. Regardless it was the hostile manner in which they addressed a perfectly appropriate and polite question I felt was unacceptable.

It is hard to say - often the police know more than you do about why they are behaving the way they are, but equally (sadly) we all know that all too often the police are abusing their position and very aggressive.

They talk a lot about 'a few bad apples' but the number does seem worryingly high. Overall it is getting harder to trust the police - and it is also getting much harder for the police to do their jobs (especially in the UK due to Tory cuts).

It is hard to say - often the police know more than you do about why they are behaving the way they are

perhaps but I can't imagine a teacher or school member of staff chatting to a parent like this not getting heavily pulled on it.

I thought it was about their ‘aggression’, not the lack of PPE? What is it that troubles you most?

Both I suppose but moreso the aggression.

i was expecting you to say they’d hit you over the head with the torch, not just shone it in your face! No idea why you’re still obsessing over this after so long. YABU.

They probably thought you were a busybody and irritating. They shouldn’t have shouted though I would understand an eye roll

Im with you OP. I don’t know where the police get off thinking they can treat people that way whilst also breaking rules

i was expecting you to say they’d hit you over the head with the torch, not just shone it in your face

shining a bright torch right in somebody's eyes is an act of aggression and intimidation, it hurts alot.

I agree OP. Needlessly rude and aggressive. Policing seems to attract those types.

You could have been his girlfriend, drug dealer, be about kick off, be carrying a weapon. Leave the police to focus on their job rather than giving them another element they have to calculate into the risk equation.

You could have been his girlfriend, drug dealer, be about kick off, be carrying a weapon

OK so because people COULD be criminals with ill intent police must treat them all with aggression and disrespect.

You could have been a horse dressed as a human OP about to kick them in their unmasked faces so frankly you’re lucky you didn’t get tasered. Police officers are always right don’t you know!

The guy was not doing anything untoward so it wasn't an emergency situation where they had to act fast. They approached him and began searching him.

You literally have no idea what he had done or not done. Just because his behaviour in that precise moment wasn't "untoward", you have. I idea what intelligence they might have received about him. What if he was suspected to have been carrying a weapon? Hence their searching him immediately for public safety? I really don't think it was your place to interfere here.

Your interfering could have ruined some type of undercover police job and set them back months in solving a major crime.
Or they were being arseholes.
We don't know.
You don't know.
Get over it.