Covid-19: Concerns over potential demand of tier 3 policing

The new rules for South Yorkshire affect about 1.4m people living in four different local authority areas

The potential demand of the new tier three coronavirus restrictions imposed in South Yorkshire could cause a strain on officers, a police body said.

Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley will move into the "very high alert" level on Saturday.

The South Yorkshire Police Federation said officers were already "extremely busy" before the measures were announced.

The region's police commissioner said officers were ready for the new rules.

Pubs and bars that do not serve substantial meals have to close under tier 3 and the rules include further restrictions on households mixing.

Steve Kent, chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: "Unlike lockdown in the past, policing demand is at normal levels and officers in our force are extremely busy, sometimes finishing hours late.

"If we get a flood of complaints from the public telling on neighbours, that sort of thing, it's going to potentially cause us problems in terms of the sheer demand of it."

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He continued: "While officers are dealing with extremely serious incidents like domestic violence, assaults, serious crime, that shouldn't be pushed aside by people saying, hypothetically, that a neighbour has a grandchild who has come round, that type of thing."

Dr Alan Billings, who's South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, said he felt the public did accept that it was a "necessary" move in the present situation.

"I'm sure officers will do this in the way they've done it under lock down: they will first of all engage with people not observing the rules and seek to persuade them to observe those rules.

"But if they don't clearly the rules have to be enforced," he said.

The tier 3 restrictions for the region come into force at 00:01 on Saturday

Kit Malthouse, minister for crime and policing, said people needed to "inform themselves" and research which Covid-19 rules applied in their area.

Mr Kent added: "My only concern is the strain it could put on front line officers out there, who are already, if I'm honest, not far off the limit with what they're dealing with day in, day out as it stands.

"I'm asking the public to apply common sense, and to go along and support the rules as they are."

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