Author Archives: eveline lubbers

POLICING The predictions last week by senior police officers that more and more people would flout the rules over the Easter bank holiday weekend – and that they might require tough coronavirus lockdown restrictions – proved unfounded. By and large, people have listened to reminders to stay home and practice physical distancing when they needContinue reading “11-13 April Easter Weekend Update”

POLICING On the eve of the four day bank holiday weekend, a police officer in South Yorkshire was captured on video telling a family to leave the front lawn of their house in Ferham, Rotherham. The force subsequently tweeted this was “was well-intentioned but ill-informed and we’d like to apologise for the way it wasContinue reading “10 April Update”

POLICING With the Easter weekend approaching, there were renewed reports that senior police officers were lobbying the government to consider toughening coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The Guardian reported that these may include “stringent restrictions to prevent people [from] driving long distances” and tougher enforcement to limit exercise to once a day. One police chief is quotedContinue reading “9 April Update”

POLICING Today a YouGov public opinion survey [pdf] on the policing of the lockdown commissioned by Crest Advisory (a strategy and communications company set up by a former special adviser to Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron) showed broad support for the police’s role, but also a number of areas of concern after just two weeksContinue reading “8 April Update”

Policing It is now two weeks since Boris Johnson announced Britain’s lockdown. Despite numerous and strong indications that the government’s efforts to persuade people to stay at home over an unseasonably warm weekend has been a rare policy success, Health Minister Matt Hancock still appears to be preparing the public for the possibility of further,Continue reading “6 April Update”

Policing Evidence that the majority of the public were yesterday complying with regulations on restricting movement has not prevented the continuing warnings that tougher rules are on the way. On the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggested the possibility of an outdoor exercise ban after people were seen sunbathing in parks. ThereContinue reading “5 April Update”

Policing At what would have been the start of the school Easter break and with temperatures at their highest in 2020, the police were sounding the alarm at the prospect of tens of thousands of people ignoring the warnings to stay home in order to avoid spreading the coronavirus. In Lincolnshire, the police went asContinue reading “4 April Update”

After a number of days where there have been repeated concerns about the implementation of emergency powers, the police’s own lawyers have advised them that they are wrongly applying the lockdown regulations. A guide produced by barristers at 5 Essex Court chambers pointed out that the rules do not restrict outside exercise to only onceContinue reading “2 April Update”