No Police deaths?

[rosecreakybex]

We had police round today - very boring reason.

I noticed they didn't social distance at all, no PPE... wondering why there's not been a reported surge in covid related police deaths...

Because they're predominately white, not obese, and under 60.

Well this is true...

But neither are many of us who are still distancing and afraid of the virus

Aren’t they in bubbles, like schools? Then they don’t need to socially distance.

With members of the public though... and coming in to houses. They were here quite a while, stood talking to us about a foot or 2 apart

Then you probably don't need to be afraid of it. Social distancing will be to protect others more than to protect you.

Supermarket staff aren't dropping in droves either. They're predominately women and teenagers. The virus definitely affects some groups more than others.

Under 12s in the Netherlands aren't social distancing at all - there's only been 1 death and it was reported that there was an underlying health condition. It's still terrible. Someone lost their child, but maybe it helps put the fear into perspective?

DH friend has lost 3 colleagues in the Met 😔

There's been three on the news, all around the middle of April. Quite a few transport police have died.

It's as said, probably the demographic and health status of ordinary Officers. We don't know how many have needed to have hospital treatment.

Don't the police have to pass medical tests to get in? In which case, I'd expect few if any deaths as so many deaths are of those with underlying conditions (most of which presumably would stop you joining the police in the first place?)

@allgoodusernameshavegone I'm so sorry to hear that, I hadn't heard of any being reported. Yes I guess as PP have said, most are very fit and healthy.

I just felt sorry for these two today being expected to come in to all kinds of different households without any protection. But I suppose as a group they're fairly low risk

And they have had to deal with people spitting at them.

Being white doesn't protect you from the virus 🙄

@AKissAndASmile

Being white doesn't protect you from the virus 🙄

No, but I think the previous poster was referring to the higher prevalence among BAME individuals.

I have a family member police officer, he has a long term serious but managed health condition, he was sent to work from home immediately so they're being very careful.

@AKissAndASmile

Being white doesn't protect you from the virus 🙄

Of course it doesn't, in the same way that being female doesn't. But statistically you stand a better chance of not contracting it / dying from it

Thete is actually quite a high incidence of deaths amongst shopworkers. It just isn't reported. Prison officers and security guards, too.

Have you checked whether your assertion about police is correct OP?

It’s one thing for them to have no PPE when together, it’s quite another if they’re lax with the public, unless they absolutely have to be. If they aren’t following social distancing in their normal interactions, that’s really piss poor policing. Not only does it put the public at risk (many of whom will be much more vulnerable) but it sets a very bad example to the public.

All it takes is a police officer to visit someone who’s vulnerable, and that person contracts Covid and die from it, and they’ll be hell to pay and Police’s credibility will be shot through.

Entering someone's home is relatively low risk compared to getting up close and personal with some of the calls officers attend. Sick, blood, spit, urine etc is a common occurrence and worrying for those involved.

Not to mention the amount of times they have to attend hospital with a prisoner with what seems like inadequate PPE compared to the NHS staff.

Yes, most are relatively fit but still not immune. They also have families that they are potentially putting at risk.

We have sadly lost some police colleagues to it but nobody since April.

Anyone in sheilding category so with conditions was sent home.

There are certain things that have been put in place by my force to reduce risk. Some examples are:

Always working with the same colleague each shift eg where you have to travel in a car together.

All new recruits going through training are learning from home apart from the things that HAVE to be in person for instance safety training/first aid/driving. When they are not at home, they social distance in classrooms and any physical contact is done in full PPE, masks, gloves, plastic gowns.

Lots of things taking place outside on the car park instead of the gym or classroom.

Nobody is to travel to and from work in uniform anyway. But bags have been provided in the changing rooms to seal uniform and boots after shift you then sling this in your car and tip straight into your washing machine when you get home.

These are just some examples of things we are doing to take it seriously.

I actually wasn't thinking of us, I was thinking of them but another point would be that they didn't ask if we were vulnerable before entering. Although had we been, I'm sure we would have said.

I didn't check forensically before I posted but I looked to see if I could find any articles in the same way we see Articles about NHS workers dying and couldn't see any about police.

I guess I just assumed they'd attend in PPE

I actually wasn't thinking of us, I was thinking of them but another point would be that they didn't ask if we were vulnerable before entering. Although had we been, I'm sure we would have said.

I think it’s appalling they entered your house with no PPE without even asking if you were vulnerable (though that shouldn’t matter) given it wasn’t an emergency. If the Police are so careless about social distancing, how can they expect to enforce it. It’s more “do as I say, not as I do”, and coming from the Police that’s a more concerning than double standards from someone like Cummings.

You don't see it online because most police don't keep an online presence beaucse of what their job is we don't put our jobs on social media etc. So the general public would not know unless it was an official announcement on the force's social media and that is if the family have consented to that.

We do have ppe in terms of masks and gloves that we wear if needed. Gloves were used allllllll the time even before covid hit, just for hygeine and scene preservation etc.

Generally masks are not worn as standard as people need to always be able to understand what we are saying and many people lip read even if they are not aware they do, if you can't see the bottom of the face it makes communication really difficult.

I believe they've been told to use ppe on a case by by basis, rather than routinely. I agree they should really have asked what your preference was if they were coming to your house though.

One thing they will be considering is how wearing a face mask will affect communication - e.g. in the summer they are encouraged not to wear sunglasses because generally people like to be able to see the full face of someone they are talking to.

Also they'll be having the same procurement issues as the rest of the public sector.

@rosecreakybex

I actually wasn't thinking of us, I was thinking of them but another point would be that they didn't ask if we were vulnerable before entering. Although had we been, I'm sure we would have said.

I didn't check forensically before I posted but I looked to see if I could find any articles in the same way we see Articles about NHS workers dying and couldn't see any about police.

I guess I just assumed they'd attend in PPE

Assuming that just because the media don't report something, it doesn't happen is a very odd approach. The media create a narrative, and they are probably aware that deaths of police officers are much less sympathetic headlines than deaths of nurses and carers.

ONS have published data on deaths by profession, but it doesn't go into the fine detail. The highest death rates are in men are actually in "low skilled elementary service" jobs (which seems to include jobs such as factory staff, cleaners and builders). Again, these don't make for sympathetic headlines or fit the narrative of heroes. Which is a shame.

I didn't say it hadn't happened, I said it hadn't been reported.