Tayside’s top policeman has said he is happy to get it in the neck from both sides of the Covid compliance divide.
Chief Superintendent Andrew Todd said pandemic public opinion is split over whether officers are doing too much, or not enough, in dealing with coronavirus breaches.
And the Tayside divisional commander reckons a growing tide of claims against his officers around issues including lack of social distancing or not wearing PPE is a reflection that they are striking the right balance.
Mr Todd made his comments to Angus scrutiny and audit councillors after Monifieth and Sidlaws SNP representative Beth Whiteside highlighted the rise in Covid-related complaints against Tayside personnel.
Although the number of complaints is substantially below the volumes seen at the outset of the pandemic, a lack of social distancing or PPE were cited in nearly eight out of 10 cases during December.
Enforcement or perceived non-enforcement of coronavirus regulations was a feature in more than a third of complaints recorded against officers.
Fixed penalty notices
Mr Todd reported 81 Covid-19 offences in the Angus division for the quarterly period to December, with 69 fixed penalties issued.
He said: “In Angus we have seen a large amount of compliance.
“But there are still pockets of non-compliance and we are moving very quickly to the enforcement element because we find we have often done the education element previously.
“We are finding that a number in our community want us to do more and complain when we don’t, and a number want us to do less and complain when we don’t.
“I’m almost treading a line that we could assume we want to please nobody,” said Mr Todd.
“I don’t intend to be flippant with such an important issue, but it’s very difficult just now when people’s views are so split.”
PPE compliance
Officers failing to social distance and not wearing PPE were cited in 78.3% of Covid-19 related complaints in December.
Enforcement and perceived non-enforcement of the regulations were cited in 34.8%.
“These complaints all related to gatherings, almost exclusively occurring indoors and in alleged contravention of the government coronavirus guidance,” Mr Todd said.
Year-to-date figures presented to the Angus committee showed a Tayside-wide total of just over 400 complaints.
Those include on and off-duty allegations and quality of service complaints, with incivility the most common category.
The tally represents a marginal decrease on the previous year to date, but includes a significant 14.6% Angus drop and an 11.8% Perth and Kinross decrease, offset by a near 12% spike in Dundee.