Public vote of confidence for police in pandemic
Police Federation of England and Wales
National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, responds to ONS Crime Statistics
"The twelve-month period this survey relates to was prior to and during the COVID lockdown, and it’s already been widely reported that crime fell during this time. Therefore, the results come as no surprise.
Although crime fell during the pandemic the pressure on the police remained. Policing had to adapt to a situation unlike anything we had experienced before and continues to do so even as the national lockdown was lifted and crime returned to pre-lockdown levels. That pressure has increased with local lockdowns being rolled out and because of the additional challenges they bring to policing.
It’s so good to see the vast majority of the public have positive views of the way my colleagues have responded to the pandemic. This is despite unfair coverage in certain sections of the media.
Policing the pandemic has been incredibly challenging, and my colleagues have more than stepped up to do the best they could in the most difficult of circumstances. It’s clear the public have recognised this.
Policing must retain this positive relationship with the community and work together. With multiple level restrictions coming into place in different parts of the country, the pandemic is certainly not over - and neither are the challenges to policing it has brought."
