There are now daily examples of police forces either overstepping the regulations and guidance on social distancing to tell people off who are, for instance, in their own front gardens, or threatening to do so in the near future (see Northamptonshire police desperately trying to blame the media for writing up verbatim what its chief constable said about his force potentially checking shopping trolleys for non-essential items). While most police forces are doing a very difficult job in adjusting to new legislation while also putting their officers at risk of catching coronavirus in order to enforce it, these extreme examples do risk making it look as though some members of the thin blue line are enjoying a power trip, or have too much time on their hands.
South Yorkshire police has apologised after one of its officers was filmed telling a family they weren’t allowed in their front garden. The force said:
‘This encounter was well-intentioned but ill-informed and we’d like to apologise for the way it was handled.
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