Police chief tells public it is their ‘duty’ to report neighbours breaking coronavirus lockdown rules
MEMBERS of the public have a “civic duty” to report neighbours breaking coronavirus lockdown rules, a police chief has said.
Merseyside Chief Constable Andy Cooke blasted the “sneering culture” that exists against people who snitch on rule-breakers, insisting their actions save lives.
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Mr Cooke said: “People are doing a civic duty in contacting us for the right reasons.
“The vast majority of people across the country are really concerned about this.
“Any information that you can give us in relation to breaches will save lives, and that’s why people are doing it.”
It comes as…
- Cops WILL enter homes and break-up Christmas family gatherings if they break lockdown rules, warns police chief
- Covid lockdown rules set to remain until March after 3-month second peak, leaked doomsday docs reveal
- Daily UK Covid deaths above 300 for second day running as cases rise by 24,701
- Emmanuel Macron enforces new lockdown & admits France is being ‘overwhelmed’ by Covid as Germany sees 4-week shutdown
Figures from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) showed 20,223 fines for breaching coronavirus restrictions were dished out by police in England and Wales between March 27 and October 19- and two-thirds went to those under-35.
‘PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE’
Martin Hewitt, chairman of the NPCC, said it is “perfectly legitimate” to report anyone making blatant breaches.
He said: “With those kind of egregious breaches, which are putting everybody at risk, it is perfectly legitimate for a member of public to share that share that information.”
Mr Hewitt refused to speculate how cops would deal with family gatherings at Christmas – but urged them not to begin making plans for the festive period.
He said: “It is not very sensible at this stage when we’re a couple of months away from there and we can all see how fast moving this is.
Any information that you can give us in relation to breaches will save lives, and that’s why people are doing it.
Chief Constable Andy Cooke
“Wherever you are in the country at any point – but certainly at Christmas as well – then I would advocate that everybody needs to understand precisely what the regulations are that relate to their parts of the country.
“From two months out it’s probably too early to start, I would say, making huge plans because because you just don’t know what those regulations are going to be at that point in time.
“But I would encourage everyone to abide by the regulations because they are there to protect people.”
JINGLE HELLS
It comes after David Jamieson, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC), said officers will investigate reports of rule-breaking over the festive season.
Mr Jamieson told The Telegraph: “If we think there’s large groups of people gathering where they shouldn’t be, then police will have to intervene.
“If, again, there’s flagrant breaking of the rules, then the police would have to enforce.
“It’s not the police’s job to stop people enjoying their Christmas.
“However, we are there to enforce the rules that the Government makes, and if the Government makes those rules, then the Government has to explain that to the public.”
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Tory MPs yesterday urged ministers to halt the heavy-handed approach.
Senior Tory MP David Jones said: “All people want is a quiet, happy Christmas with their families. They’ve had a dreadful year, so let’s give them a break.”
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith added: “This is utter nonsense. This is not some totalitarian state like China. It’s time for the Government to stand down these jobsworth Christmas turkeys.”