Policing the Pandemic: Maintaining Compliance and Legitimacy during Covid-19

Abstract

The Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in a raft of legislation being hastily introduced by the UK government to implement a national lockdown which resulted in a range of restrictions on movement and association. These legislative changes, while implemented for the protection of public health, have been the responsibility of the police and the wider criminal justice system to enforce. This has presented a distinct challenge for the police in how the broad powers given to them under the Coronavirus legislation is enforced to maintain long-term compliance from the public with the regulations and the need to ensure the legitimacy of the police service's actions is similarly maintained.