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PolicingaPandemic:ImpactoftheCOVID-19PandemiconLawEnforcementAgenciesZohaWaseemandJulianLaufsDepartmentofSecurityandCrimeScience,JillDandoInstitute,UCL

Theproblem

Publichealthemergenciescreateuniquechallengesforpolicedemand,response,andintraorganizationaldynamics.WhataresomeofthechallengesthattheCOVID-19pandemicislikelytocreateforpoliceorganisationsandofficersandhowcanthesebeaddressedandovercome?

Whatweknowabouttheimpactofpublichealthemergenciesonpolicingandhowweknowit

A systematic review ontheimpactofextremecrises,suchasnaturaldisastersandpublichealthemergencies(PHE)onlawenforcementagenciesandpersonnelidentifiedfourbroadareasofconcern:

1. Theimpactonintraorganizationaldynamics:PHEsoftentestexistingemergencyplanstotheirlimits.Pandemics,especially,tendtocreateresourceshortagesandstaffabsenteeism(e.g.officersfallingsick)ontheonehand,whiledrivingservicedemandupontheother.Thelatterisoftenincreasedthroughasurgeofspecificcrimessuchasfraud,theneedtoenforcecrisis-specificmeasures,andtheincreasedtimeandeffortneededtodealwithevenminorincidents.

2. Theimpactonofficerwellbeing:PHEscanincreasethelikelihoodofpoliceofficerssufferingfrompost-traumaticstressdisorder(PTSD),depression,andanxiety.Atthesametimesuchcrisesincreasethedependencyonunhealthycopingmechanismssuchastheabuseofdrugsoralcohol.Policeculturecanbecomeabarrierbetweenmentalhealthproblemsandgettingsupportthroughcounselling,therapy,etc.Nevertheless,policeofficersaremoreresilientthanotherfirstresponders,potentiallybecauseofthetrainingtheyreceiveandthescreeningprocessesinvolvedintheirrecruitment.

3. Theimpactonpolicecommunityrelations:Police-communityrelationsarelikelytosufferduringaPHE.Tensionsonbothsidesmightbeheightenedbecauseofficersmayhavetoenforcemeasuresthatinfringecivilliberties.Alackofknowledgeandunderstandingofadiseaseamongstofficerscanresultindiscriminationandmistreatmentofinfectedpersonsonthepartofthepolice(highlightedforexamplethroughthecaseofpolicingHIV/AIDS).

4. Theimpactoninter-organisationalcollaboration:Poorcommunicationandalackoftrustbetweenorganisations(e.g.becauseofcompetingstrategicinterests)candelaycoordinationeffortsnecessarytomitigatetheadverseconsequencesofacrisis.Thiscanalsoincludestrugglesforcompetenciesortheassigningofblamebetweenagencies.

WhatwethinkmighthappenintheCOVID-19pandemic

TheCOVID-19pandemicislikelytoaffectpolicedepartmentsworldwideinanumberofways.First,existingdisasterplanswillneedtoberevisedand,insomecases,policedepartmentswillneedtoputintoplacerelevantplansforpublichealthemergenciesforthefirsttime.Theseplanswillneedtoaccountforthefactthatthepandemiccouldcomeinmultiplewavesorphases,hittingpoliceservicesmorethanonce.Assuch,theyshouldbeupdatedconstantly,andresponsesmayneedtoshiftfromtheinitialshocktolonger-termplans.Thepandemicislikelytocreateunprecedentedresourcestrainsandstaffshortages,especiallygivenhowexposedpoliceofficersareandthechallengestheyfaceinmaintainingsocialdistancingmeasuresinthefield.Inaddition,asrecentmonthshaveshown,specificcrimessuchasfraud,domesticviolenceandonlinegroominghavebeenontherise,increasingtheworkloadforsomeunitsdisproportionately.

Aboutthisseries:Thisisbrief11ofaseriesofshort,speculativepapersdevelopedbytheUCLJillDandoInstitutetosupportthepoliceservicesduringthecurrentpandemic.Theraisond’êtreoftheseriesisfullydescribedat:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/jill-dando-institute/research/COVID-19-special-papers

Thesestressorsaregoingtobeexacerbatedasmembersofthepublicmayrefusetocooperateandcomplywithpublichealthregulations,orevenattackpoliceofficers(e.g.intheformof‘coughattacks’).Tocopewiththelackofstaff,policeofficersmayberequiredtoworklongershiftsand,beingfirstresponders,theymayneedtoisolatefromtheirfamilies.Thesepracticalchallenges,coupledwiththefearofcontractingCOVID-19,aregoingtoadverselyimpactthementalwellbeingofpoliceofficers.Withincreasedstress,policeofficersaremorelikelytodevelopsymptomsofPTSDordepression.SomeofthesesymptomsmaywelldevelopafterthePHEhaspassedandpublichealthrestrictionshaveeased.

Police-communityrelationsalsoriskbeingadverselyaffected–especiallyincaseswherethepolicehavetoenforcelockdownmeasures.Newlegislationandframeworksthatallowforincreasedpolicepowermightreducepublictrustinthepolice,especiallywithincommunitiesthathavewitnessedtheeffectsofmilitarisedpoliceresponsesduringpreviousepidemics,orwithinminorityandsocio-economicallymarginalisedgroups.Police-communityrelationswillalsobeimpactedbyhowpolicedepartmentsandorganisationsmanagethesocio-economiccrisisandpotentialunrestintheaftermathofthepandemic.

Someideasinresponse

ThereareanumberofwayspolicedepartmentscanattempttomitigatetheadverseeffectsofCOVID-19ontheirinstitutionsandofficers:

• Creatingnewstaffingprocedurescanhelptoaddressstaffshortageandabsenteeism.Thisshouldanticipatefurtherwavesofinfectionsamongstthepublicandstaff.Flexibleworkarrangementsensurethesafetyandwellbeingofvulnerableofficersandtheirfamilies.

• Tocopewithadditionalservicedemands,crimepreventionefforts(e.g.preventingCOVID-19specificfraud)shouldbeincreasedandtargetthosemostvulnerabledirectly(e.g.theelderly).

• LeadersshouldmakeconcertedeffortstoacknowledgetheworkofpoliceofficerstoincreasejobsatisfactionandprovidesocialsupporttomitigatethesymptomsofPTSD,depressionandanxiety.Thisshouldbeanongoingeffortandisespeciallyimportantafterthecrisis.

• Tomaintainpolice-communityrelationsandensurecompliancewithpublichealthregulations,adequatestrategiesshouldbeinstitutionalisedforcommunicationbetweenthepoliceandaffectedcommunities.Suchcommunicationshouldbeflexibleandtailoredtowhenitistakingplace:priorto,duringorafterthepandemic.Policeofficersshouldalsobecognizantofchangesincitizens’demands,expectationsandneedsasthecrisisunfolds.Policeorganisationsneedalong-termplantorebuildtrustwherenecessary.

• Policedepartmentsshouldimplementadequatepoliciestoraiseawarenessandpreventthecriminalisationofinfectedpersonsandthesecuritisationofpublichealth.

• Agenciesshouldidentifyexistingfaultlinesinintra-andinter-agencycommunicationandcollaboration.Jointtrainingandexercisesshouldbeconsideredtoimprovepreparednessforfuturepublichealthemergenciesandtobuildintra-agencytrust.

Relevantresources

Policingthepandemic:ManagingthepoliceresponsetoCovid-19Coronavirus.(PolicingInsight)Policinginatimeofpandemic:Recommendationsforlawenforcement.(EdmondJ.SafraCenter)Coronavirus:Whywemusttacklehardquestionsaboutpolicepower.(TheConversation)Policingthelockdown:compliance,enforcementandproceduraljustice.(COVID-19SpecialPaper,JDI)