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Policing Covid: 'Officers have largely done pretty good job in unusual circumstances'
23 March 2021, 11:40 | Updated: 23 March 2021, 11:55
Sir Paul Stephenson gives take on policing during the Covid crisis
One year since the first lockdown, ex-Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson says the police have 'largely done pretty a pretty good job in unusual circumstances'.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari the former senior police officer gave his views on how police across the UK have dealt with the Covid crisis.
"It's been difficult," Sir Paul told Nick, adding "clearly" the whole experience of policing public health legislation has been an "uncomfortable one."
But, he said, "largely they've done pretty well."
The former Commissioner revealed there have been times when he's sat watching and "winced and cringed" at a few uncomfortable moments.
He said there had only been a small number of incidents that caught the public spotlight, but overall the police have dealt with the challenging circumstances well.
When Nick challenged him over two incidents that were featured in the press the former officer said those isolated incidents "didn't feel comfortable."
Nick raised one story when two women were fined for meeting up for a coffee at a lake, and another when a pensioner was spoken to by police for having a socially-distanced cup of tea with a friend in a garden.
Sir Paul said, "largely I think they've done a good job, but on occasions, it seemed a little overzealous."
