Officers get fresh guidance on government’s new face covering rules
Guidance on the new face covering rules that came into effect on Tuesday (November 30) has been issued by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and College of Policing.
The new government regulations, which require staff and customers to wear masks in shops and other ‘relevant places’ such as banks and public transport, are in response to concerns over the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill, NPCC lead for Operation Talla, the police response to the pandemic, said police forces will increase officer visibility where possible in high risk and crowded areas, such as towns and shopping centres, and near transport hubs.
Officers will continue to adopt the four ‘Es’ approach with the public – Engage, Explain, Encourage and Enforce – with a fixed penalty notice only issued as a last resort.
Mr Weatherill said: “If officers encounter individuals not wearing a face covering on public transport or in shops, they will engage with them, explain the risks and encourage them to comply with the new rules.
“Forces will continue to enforce Coronavirus Regulations where it is necessary to do so. We will support transport and retail staff in ensuring people wear face coverings in line with the regulations.
“We will work closely with businesses and will continue to respond to incidents where individuals are violent or abusive towards staff or members of the public.”
The updated guidance notes that the majority of ‘relevant places’ under the new face coverings regulations, such as shops and retail outlets, “are private premises and their staff have the right to control access. Police officers’ attendance should only be required as a last resort”.
However, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium stressed that enforcement of face coverings “must remain the duty of the authorities” and not retailers.
Helen Dickinson said: “Throughout the pandemic, retailers have made the safety of staff and customers their top priority. Over the last 20 months, retailers have done what is necessary to keep the public safe and will continue to implement all necessary measures now and in the future.
“Retailers will be communicating the new rules on face coverings in England through in-store signage and other channels.
“However, it is vital that we do not place hardworking retail staff in harm’s way, and enforcement of face coverings must remain the duty of the authorities.”
The NPCC/College of Policing guidance can be found at https://news.npcc.police.uk/resources/covid-19-face-coverings-in-relevant-places-301121