SOLVE magazine Issue 04 2022 | Page 55

SOCIETY
There were issues of shifting operational frameworks , with frontline officers sometimes getting daily emails about changes to legislation , leading to confusion about what was legally mandated versus recommended versus legitimate .
They had their own safety to consider , including the need for personal protective equipment , given incidents of spitting .
“ Adjusting to pandemic policing where the police are responsible for people ’ s behavioural compliance had a huge impact on police officers in terms of stress , anxiety and wellbeing ,” Professor Charman says .
She suggests the narrative that police officers are tough and no-nonsense needs balancing with greater acceptance of wellbeing services , especially for frontline officers .
The ‘ us ’ and ‘ them ’ spiral
While some in the community say they prefer the more authoritarian approach , police are aware that the consent model ultimately offers them a greater sense of legitimacy with the public .
“ I think throughout the whole pandemic , the police have been aware that they need to build or rebuild that sense of trust and legitimacy once the exceptional circumstances have passed . People ’ s compliance with public health directives became an important factor in how quickly police progressed through the four ‘ Es ’.
Interestingly , Professor Charman points to research that found compliance with regulations was high in the UK . Her team then investigated public perceptions of compliance levels .
Surveys during the first UK lockdown found that those furthest from a respondent ’ s own social environment were seen to be the least compliant . Oneself and close family were seen as most compliant , followed by friends , neighbours and then people in the UK generally .
“ The concern is that ‘ other people ’ are not sticking to the rules ,” Professor Charman says . “ It ’ s a familiar and dangerous pattern because there ’ s a sense of ‘ othering ’ that creates a righteous ‘ us ’ versus a demonised ‘ them ’ dynamic .”
She fears that dynamic could aggravate the polarisation that occurred in the UK over Brexit and immigration to become even more blaming of others .
“ Governments can exploit that sense of othering so that we end up blaming each other rather than blaming governments ,” she says . “ It can be quite a useful tactic for them . But I think in the long term , it ’ s not great for national unity and distracts from finding solutions .”
The police would prefer to avoid this kind of polarisation in favour of cultivating a sense of all being in this together . They are aware , however , that while the public cheered healthcare frontline workers , much of that positivity excluded others at the frontline : bus drivers , supermarket workers and police .
“ Police officers felt this very , very strongly from our interview data ,” Professor Charman says . “ They are perceived as intertwined with the government but we saw lots of officers stress they are on the frontline , putting their lives at risk . Yet the public did not warm to their role . There ’ s a sense of frustration for police .”
For Professor Charman and her team there are important lessons and messages to be learned from this research in the interests of keeping communities stable when under pressure . The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council ( ESRC ) as part of UK Research and Innovation ’ s rapid response to COVID-19 .
ISSUE 04 / 2022 55