All that argument about 'essential' food items and police examining trolleys

[Haffiana]

Finally a definitive statement from Downing Street for all those Hunsnetters frothing that people 'aren't allowed' to buy cake or cucumbers or whatever is wedging their knickers:

Downing Street said shops that are allowed to remain open during the lockdown are free to sell whatever items they have in stock.

Asked about the idea of police patrolling particular supermarket aisles to see what people are buying, the prime minister’s spokesman said:

"We set out a list of shops which could remain open and if the shops are on that list then they are free to sell whatever they have in stock. Obviously provided it’s legal to do so."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52245937

the problem was the police incorrectly interpreting the law and acting outside of their legal powers.

Please imagine the shocked and surprised face I have right now

I seen 4 police officers in one police car today which is quite odd but then it’s not the norm at the minute for anything.

To the PP that has posted here and is a police officer then can you please tell me why you’s aren’t wearing masks, surely this is dangerous for yourselves, colleagues, your family’s and anyone you arrest?

No you can’t have that chocolate or Easter gg, I don’t drink that is my little luxury.

The relevant legislation is only a few pages long and not hard to read. It’s hard to understand why senior officers and those more junior haven’t read it to understand the extent of their new powers. DH is a District Crown Prosector for a large chunk of the South East and he’s been tearing his hair out about some arrests that have been made. Crazy.

Does this mean the likes of B&M will now lift their ban on buying paint etc?

I bought paint in B&M on Tuesday. Don't think they'd ever banned it.

It was crazy! Being told you couldn't buy what the shops were selling - crazy! The thought of police patrolling a supermarket and telling people they couldn't buy certain things was just nuts and was likely to cause social unrest. I have completely followed the rules but would have objected strongly to someone telling me things in my trolley were not essential therefore illegal to buy.

Lockdown is hard enough without that. And reading some of the threads on here have been enlightening- and not in a good way! People judging what others deem essential is just awful and not what we need right now. Was that compost I bought when I did my Aldi shopping last week "essential"? Probably not, but meant that the kids and I could pot up our vegetable plants in the greenhouse, so got us outside in the garden for a while, means we will have tomoatoes courgettes and peppers later in the year,

Sometimes it's the "non-essential" items in
Someone's trolley that will prove to be a lifesaver for their mental wellbeing.

Speaking as a police officer we were given very little / no guidance on the new laws

That is no excuse. They're online to read. You chose to become a police officer so it's your responsibility to read the law you are being asked to enforce and to act lawfully. Ignorance isn't permitted as an excuse for the rest of us, so why the hell should it be for the police?

Why is it OK to slag a whole profession off because some individuals certainly got it wrong.

Accountability.

Thank fuck for that! Wine not essential? I don't think so!!!
I'm lucky being a carer so I can shop wherever and whenever I'm out. I'm often getting bits for my clients so get my odd bottle of wine then. I dread being stopped for just buying wine! (My daughter works for a major supermarket so she does our food shopping but I buy my own wine - for clarity).
Although I did see an interview on FB with some superintendent who said if we didn't obey lockdown then they would be checking our shopping! I'll be shopping at every damn shop I pass. I can't see them outside my local McColls and I would bet £100 they won't be outside. most corner shops, if you get my drift!

My eldest DD works at The Range and they've constantly had police coming in having a go at them, stopping shoppers etc. It's a crap enough time as it is without worrying about what you've got in your shopping bag!

People need to school themselves on the law and their rights and if necessary, quote it back to over zealous cops who are used to the general public being fearful and deferential.

Crowcat, this just enforces my belief that this whole situation isn't real! They claim so many deaths, daily, but you need a post-mortem to decide cause of death surely! Are these post mortems being carried out this quickly? Fuck. Please stay safe people. Stay at home. I think something doesn't add up here but stay home.

Some of the police in Australia are worse. One man got fined $1600 for using an open car wash at 2am! The fine has now been withdrawn.

To the PP that has posted here and is a police officer then can you please tell me why you’s aren’t wearing masks, surely this is dangerous for yourselves, colleagues, your family’s and anyone you arrest?hmm

My DP is a PC with the met. He has been specifically told not to wear a mask when on patrol. He wears one to/from work (on public transport), to the shops and when walking our dog, but when in uniform on patrol has been told it is not permitted.

If it wasn’t so ugly (people being humiliated, given fines, being yelled at, brought to tears), it’d be hilarious. I’m not in the UK anymore but I was beginning to think the country had gone completely mad. It’s obvious that the “essential shopping” thing meant don’t go out just to get a pitta bread but if you’re doing your weekly shop and pick up a packet of envelopes or kettle descaler that’s fine. The point of it was never to make people miserable with meager basic rations but to cut non-esse risk travel. Seems everyone in the world understood the memo except the British police forces.

It seems some MNers are going to be devastated at the loss of opportunities to report people for putting herbs or gin in their trollies. Reading some posts here if you’re not living like you’re in some form of POW camp making one mouldy crust of bread last a week for a family of 12 then you’re killing us all.

Pour yourselves a large drink. And open that box of chocolates. If you’re staying in you might as well make the most of it.

Parker I get it it's a whole lot easier when you're not on the frontline having to deal with the worst extremes of things. But if you haven't been provided with the detail you need (and you haven't had the time to read it yourself) surely the next best option is to apply plain old common sense? That's what most of us civilians are doing.

I appreciate you probably are doing that btw :) The minority of weirdo police activities are highlighted in the same way minority of weirdo civilian behaviours are. Most police are being reasonable, as are most civilians. Thing is, your lot have power and need the scrutiny. Even if it feels unfair.

I think it's a shame, my mum's house was burgled last year, the culprit stole her house key, so a threat to return. Her neighbours caught them on CCTV. Nothing absolutely fuck all.

The Yorkshire Police look as bad as always. I just don't understand? Why not catch the rapists and burglars, than check people's shopping? Get some community respect back first.

I watched the online video of the family being visited by the police officer and told not to use their garden. It made me want to cry. I felt so sorry for the man and his partner. They were very polite, non confrontational, there was a child heard crying in the background, he explained that he had been out to top up his gas and electricity. They must be having a really tough time at the moment (as are millions of others). How he didn't lose it I do not know. He had done nothing wrong!

Joans3rd that video made me so angry. You don't always get full context from snippets like that but seemed pretty clear that the family was unfairly targeted. The officer got herself into a stupid situation and then wouldn't back down. It was like nightclub door steward policy from 2005, not modern policing. That nonsense undermines everything they're trying to do at the moment. Ego needs to be removed from the equation.

They claim so many deaths, daily, but you need a post-mortem to decide cause of death surely

Not if someone has died of a known fatal disease and has been seen by a doctor within a certain period. The cause of death will be declared by medical staff. PMs are only used when the cause is unknown, a crime or industrial disease is suspected etc.

The officer got herself into a stupid situation and then wouldn't back down. It was like nightclub door steward policy from 2005, not modern policing.

That is modern policing. Read up on Harry the Owl for another case where police not only didn't back down, but doubled down - over something which by their own admission wasn't a crime.

Imagine if UK police carried guns as a matter of course ...

It’s obvious that the “essential shopping” thing meant don’t go out just to get a pitta bread but if you’re doing your weekly shop and pick up a packet of envelopes or kettle descaler that’s fine.

This sums it up beautifully. It is obvious and it is common sense. No one needed training or to be given more details... I despair at the thought that police officers really need that much spoon feeding to know right from wrong - but I’m sure most don’t and do an amazing job. The ones in question should be ashamed of themselves and I can’t see how anyone can make silly excuses for them.

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I deffo have time to sit down and read those after working 12 hour shifts 7 days in a row ill tell my colleagues next time we're called to an emergency that they don't need to go as they need to read the guidelines for the new CV19 legislation on line.

Cheers so much for your advice. You should be PM

Oh good. That makes much more sense.

tell my colleagues next time we're called to an emergency that they don't need to go as they need to read the guidelines for the new CV19 legislation on line

If you have new powers, it's your job to understand what they are.

Anyway you're still (not you personally but colleagues) claiming you don't have resources for other things. Someone locally was assaulted this morning and the police said they had no resources to deal with it. The guy who did it was a runner, it's highly likely he has Strava or Garmin. It would take someone a few minutes to check the records in that area at that time and find possible suspects. But no, it's easier to police West Wittering beach for people who dare to sit down.

Thank god that's been cleared up. Bloody madness.

If the shop stocks it, then people can buy it.

I bought face cream in my last shop at Tesco. My face would not have been happy if that had been removed from my shopping trolley

It's might not be essential to some people, but when you get to my age, cosmetics is all that stands between you and wrinkles.