Emergency powers ‘last resort’ – law enforcement
THE head of Bailiwick Law Enforcement has said that he hopes his forces will never have to use emergency powers to detain people who do not follow isolation guidelines.
Ruari Hardy said the legislation would be deployed in a progressive way that he hoped meant law enforcement involvement would be unnecessary.
‘If we receive information that someone who is in isolation isn’t complying there will be an approach primarily from Public Health initially,’ he said.
‘If further steps have to be taken then it may well be law enforcement may have to be involved, but our strategy at the moment is to make sure everyone has the right information and that we do everything we can to get people to understand why they have to follow the isolation rules.
‘The actual enforcement aspect we sincerely hope will never have to be used, but if it has to it is there.’
Mr Hardy believed most people would follow guidelines.
‘We suspect that most people within our community get that this is about keeping their loved ones, their friends and family safe and for those reasons will comply,’ he said.
Education will be a key part of the strategy designed to prevent escalation to Public Health or law enforcement.
Initiatives include guidance displayed on travel carriers’ websites, announcements at ports and a mandatory information card that must be filled in to ensure law enforcement and Public Health have the contact details of anyone who has recently travelled to the island.
Isolation guidelines will also be displayed on the card.
The Head of Law Enforcement also made a plea for islanders to familiarise themselves with the current Covid-19 guidelines and to get their information from reputable sources.
‘Please do not pay attention to speculation or rumour, particularly upon social media, which can be extremely busy, extremely misleading and wholly inaccurate,’ he said.
The plans mean back-office functions could cease to increase the numbers of officers in the community during the pandemic.
Mr Hardy also commended the Joint Emergency Control Centre, which was fielding up to 300 phone calls a day.
The police had also made changes to their procedures to lower the chance of infection, including ensuring sufficient distance is maintained during counter work and other duties.
