Former Met Detective says London curfew would be 'impossible to police'
17 September 2020, 08:33
Police don't need or want any more covid legislation.
A former Detective Chief Inspector at the Metropolitan Police today told LBC that a London curfew to limit the spread of coronavirus would be "impossible to enforce"
Former Detective Chief Inspector at the Metropolitan Police Chris Philips told Nick Ferrari at breakfast: “The police really don’t need or want any more legislation. It’s deflecting them from reducing crime.
"It’s really something that they don’t want to get involved in."
He said a curfew would be “impossible to police.”
“Should there be a curfew… keeping people off the streets is impossible - closing down licensed premises is feasible.
“When people feel they’ve been unfairly treated [by the pollice] they’ve got every right to be upset about it.
“The police really don’t want this, they are being forced into policing something that is against their better judgment.”
However Professor Susan Michie, Director of the Centre for Behaviour Change at UCL, said she had seen research that “most people would be in favour of curfews.
“We are in a very very concerning situation and people do want to prevent a national lockdown. A stitch in time saves nine.”
“The issue is which are the real high risk situations we need to look at to prevent an exponential rise.”
Read more: North East of England to face new coronavirus restrictions
Downing Street has so far not denied reports that curfews were being considered to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Asked about reports that a curfew could be introduced in London, a Number 10 spokesman said: "We will continue to keep the transmission rate under review.
"We've introduced the rule of six to try and bear down on the transmission rate given that it has risen recently.
"But as I say we will keep that data and the scientific evidence under review."
The North East is to face new lockdown restrictions this week after a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.
Measures are set to include a 10pm curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants, as well as restrictions on socialising, but the full extent of the restrictions will be announced by the Health Secretary in the Commons today.
