Policing during Public Health Emergencies: Examining Preparedness during COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

The ongoing pandemic experience has not only exposed some key obstacles for law enforcement agencies, viz. communication, resource management, the enforcement of public health restrictions and changes to crime and service patterns, but also brought to the fore the ad-hoc and reactive responses from law enforcing authorities. For example, in the absence of proper national policing pandemic guidelines, there were instances wherein officers have used force. Such use of illegal measures for enforcing compliance, expose lack of preparedness of forces to tackle public health emergencies. Perhaps, one possible reason for such behaviour appears to be the continuous persistence on impartation of hard skills such as weapon use, combat skills, parades, crowd control drills and other physical competencies. As a result, development of soft skills like mob management, communication and coordination, negotiation, and conflict resolution, receive scant attention. Achieving compliance in any unforeseen and unprecedented circumstance is an important test of every police officer’s skills. It is also an essential element of effective governance. In this regard, the present paper argues against deliberate vagueness and calls for greater police accountability. Also, in cases of public health emergencies the need to institute and enforce constitutional safeguards against extensive administrative powers must receive the judicious attention of the institutions in the echelons of power. Further, public health emergencies demand collaboration between law enforcement agencies and public health institutions. The paper suggests that optimal utilization of resources at various levels and greater sensitization of the personnel will enable the restoration of confidence levels of the people in the institutions.

Keywords: Policing, Public Health Emergencies, COVID-19 Pandemic