Policing the pandemic: the legitimacy of the police and the potential for civil unrest; a personal commentary

Abstract

The ‘Policing the Pandemic’ seminar series hosted online by the London Policing College and the International Police Association in November 2020 raised important issues for the immediate security of the state. These included a concern reported by delegates following experiences with members of the public by police members in several different countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. These anecdotal reports raised the suggestion that the legitimacy of the formalised policing function in the face of unpopular political imposition may be increasingly at issue. This brief commentary outlines the potential for civil disorder that might take place if the legitimacy of the police is questioned to a point beyond civil disobedience on a major scale, and suggests the need for the police to prepare for outbreaks of major disorder in 2021/2022.