Why are the police not wearing PPE or staying 2 m apart?

[pontypridd]

We saved a lost child today - out on our walk. The police came to help and none of them were wearing PPE. None of them kept even 1 m apart from each other, us or the lost child.

This is the 5/6th time we've personally encountered the police during this lockdown. Every time - there's a collection of them with no PPE. And they don't social distance from us, other members of public or from each other.

Why are the police not complaining about the lack of PPE and social distancing for themselves at work - as teachers and the NHS staff are?

Or do they know something that the rest of us don't?

@Nicknacky

Then the Police are quite possibly agents of Covid infection across the communities they serve. It’s one thing for you to be nonchalant about the risks for you personally, but the Police are dealing with vulnerable people on a daily basis. The Police aren’t magically immune from being infected and passing it on to people with underlying health conditions. This feels a scandal in the making....

banana I don't envy you at all for the job you do! I always feel for probation when I have to phone them I rearly have good news. 😳 I always start with I'm really sorry to have to inform you...

I’m not nonchalant at all. I just get on with my job like many of us do.

I’m a HCP by the way and I can’t imagine the police can work safely and effectively while 2 metres apart from one another anymore than we can in the health service!

And there is no scandal on the making 😂

I don't think I could effectively do my job from behind a mask, some of the life experiences my service users have had is heartbreaking and a lot of empathy is shown via non verbal communication. I don't think they would open up to me or even ask for help if they couldn't even see my face from behind a shield and mask.

Sometimes I'm literally a friendly familiar face, I wouldn't want to take that away from them.

Ha @nicknacky I agree - if there was to be a scandal involving the police it’d be about them being endangered by the great British public gallivanting about the place not you poor buggers suddenly becoming superspreaders 🤦🏻‍♀️ Solidarity from a fellow public sector drone.

coach You are absolutely right there. It’s all very well saying “wear a mask” but it is a barrier.

MrsAmaro

Reminds me of a video I saw today. The public outraged that the police were searching a black youth and then they pulled out a hunting knife it turned into “why aren’t you wearing masks, he has human rights”.

Neither the lad or the shouter were wearing masks.

FFS. As if stabbing someone is less dangerous than covid-19 is to the vast vast majority of the population. If the knife wielder was 94 then they might have a point

@Nicknacky

The Police do a fantastic job, but it seems they are blaze about the risks of passing Covid to the communities they serve. For what I can see they take no steps at all to prevent spread when conducting duties, as though they’re magically protected. Nonchalance seems to be exactly the right word!

@CoachBombay lovely to meet you! I have to say I love my job, although it is not for the faint hearted. I rely heavily on agencies such as yours, so thank you for the work you do.

I totally agree with your comments about face masks, so much is lost when you cannot read someone’s facial expressions. They form a barrier in more ways than one.

It only takes one infected police officer to question someone on the street with an underlying condition, and for that person to contract Covid and die, for there to be a scandal...

NickyNacky it makes me so mad. You are doomed if you do and doomed if you don't! My dad was a DCI and my DH is now a retired DCI. I've had a bloody lifetime of hearing people criticise. You have my sympathies. Stay safe.

This thread has really brought a smile to my face, it really does show how positive multi agency working is, and how we support eachother in our professional settings.

Sorry didn't mean to derail.

@derbygerbil but that could happen in any number of other scenarios without a scandal. That is the most fundamental route of transmission.

Derby Yet there is no requirement to wear masks as yet. It will have been considered.

And yes we do take steps. In my department my enquiries are all put on hold and I can only take statements by phone. No suspect interviews meantime.

I have new enquiries given to me and if urgent we will attend having done a risk assessment with the witnesses and if we are unable to see them face to face then we won’t.

But crime goes on. Life doesn’t stop during a pandemic. Cops are doing their best, as they always try to do.

I don't think I could effectively do my job from behind a mask.

I do understand where you are coming from. It's shit but you adapt. And I say this as someone that has had to wear masks over a 13 hour shift working with covid+.
A proper mask (FFp3 or N95--gold dust masks, I call them) may prevent you and the service user from passing it between you.

icequeen Thank you x

@CoachBombay 😀😀

They didn't wear masks/gloves or social distance when they came to kick in my knobhead neighbour's front door last week.
She's done zero social distancing herself and been in contact with a lot of people that I know about so I felt sorry for the police having to deal with her without PPE.

Derbygerbil surely the same could be said for anyone working in the community in a non Health Care setting. Postman, milkman, delivery drivers and so on.

We've scaled back on our community work as much as possible for our particular role to limit contact but we do still have to engage with our vulnerable service users on a face to face basis, we can't just abandon them, that would be terrible.

Hello from another female police officer.

Currently I do work with the same person every shift and we travel in a car together. On some jobs and in the station we will be around lots of other officers. When we recap on training this can be hands on.

When we attend a briefing potentially there could be lots of people in one room. We do spread out if there is room to do so.

In a practical sense it is impossible to socially distance in our jobs. How to safely restrain someone from 2 metres away? Hmmm. Or stop them throwing themself off a bridge perhaps? Hmmmm.

In terms of ppe we have disposable gloves, get through shit loads of these. Nothing to do with covid. Just use em for everything always have. We deal with all sorts.

We also have some facemasks and use our own judgement when to use. If I'm going into a house where there could be someone poorly I put one one. YES I understand how masks work and it is more to protect people from me and not vice versa.

Problem is. Nearly all of our job is communication. It is impossible to effectively communicate wearing a mask.

I'm not anti masks, it just can't be done in a practical way.

lifeisabeach I wouldn't personally want to use up medical grade PPE when it is probably of significant better benefit to those dealing with covid+ like yourself , but I do take your point on board.

At present were trying to do the 2m rule with service users many are adhering, some are not, we wash hands regularly and encourage our service users to do the same.

Hey juan I’m in a specialist role so not in as many houses as you are. But still out and about! 👋