LAW ENFORCEMENT
Police Forces to be reimbursed for COVID enforcement
The Home Office has put aside an additional £60 million to reimburse police forces across England and Wales for their increased enforcement of the Coronavirus rules.
Since the start of the pandemic, officers across the country have played a crucial role in helping to stop the spread of the virus by enforcing the COVID-19 regulations to protect the public, while at the same time continuing with investigations in a bid to keep the public safe.
More than £58 million of the money pledged by the Government will be made available to help pay for costs incurred by police due to the pandemic, including overtime and making police stations COVID-secure.
The announcement by Home Secretary Priti Patel brings the total amount of funding available to police forces since the start of the pandemic to nearly £200 million.
Police have been under increased pressure during the pandemic with some forces also being asked to assist with a further increased presence and enforcement of regulations at airports and ports to ensure travellers are complying with the new border health measures.
From the middle of February additional officers have started to be deployed at airports and ports to support the enforcement of these regulations, including checking the reason for passengers’ journeys and helping to ensure compliance of arrivals from red list countries who will be part of the mandatory quarantine scheme recently announced by the Government.
Forces involved in these efforts will receive a share of £2 million to help cover the costs of this additional activity to the end of March.
“Our police officers have worked tirelessly to keep the country’s streets safe while enforcing the Coronavirus regulations to protect the NHS and save lives,” asserted the Home Secretary.
“The public also has a vital part to play in the battle against COVID. This includes not travelling unless essential, which is why the police will also be stepping up checks at airports.”
Patel concluded: “We’re committed to supporting the police service as it continues its crucial activities and that’s why we’re providing specific funding for Coronavirus-related costs.”
The overall funding, which covers the financial year 2020-2021, will allow police forces to maintain and, where necessary, increase capacity in order to continue enforcement of the regulations.
