Policing during a pandemic – Wealden officers tell us what it’s been like

While we were being told to socially distance and stay at home, there were people whose jobs meant that was impossible.

Police officers have had to put themselves in harm’s way in a pandemic to keep everyone else safe.

They have been going about their jobs as normally as they can in extraordinary circumstances.

This newspaper caught up with Wealden police at their headquarters in Hailsham. From the district commander to neighbourhood PCs, we found out what it was like fighting crime in the most unusual of times.

Detective Chief Inspector Alasdair Henry was only appointed as district commander in January this year – little did he know what a bizarre year was in store for him.

“Lockdown was really quiet,” he said, “We were expecting a spike of burglaries in business premises, but didn’t really experience that.

“But as we have come out of lockdown demand has gone sky high. You have got normal demand topped up by the laws around the pandemic.

“You have got people ringing saying ‘there’s seven people in my neighbours’ house’.”

All things covid-related are given the lofty code name Operation Apollo.

According to the police’s rolling year data for Wealden, from September 2019 to August 2020, burglary has been reduced by 13 per cent, and vehicle crime by nine per cent.

Over the last six months – from March to August 2020, compared with the same period in 2019 – burglary has been reduced by 45 per cent, with 144 fewer burglaries.

While vehicle crime has reduced by 48 per cent over the same time period, down by 146 crimes.

The worst affected wards in north Wealden for acquisitive crime have seen even better reductions. In Frant, Forest Row, Hartfield and Withyham areas, there has been a 60 per cent reduction in burglary over these six months, compared with the year before.

In this area, there has also been a 58 per cent reduction in vehicle crime, according to Sussex Police figures.

Wealden is the second largest policing district in the country. It is a vast area, stretching from Birling Gap to Crowborough and back down to Pevensey.

The main offences committed here fall under the umbrella of rural crime, with 884 cases of it recorded in 2019/2020.

And, with its many winding country roads, there are some of the worst collisions in the country here.

It was all quiet during lockdown, but ever since the world started to reopen again there has been a sharp increase in calls about speeding and anti-social driving.

“I think people have got a heightened sense of things because of covid,” says Inspector Jon Gross, “Everybody’s being asked to do extraordinary things and change their behaviour and when they are seeing others that aren’t doing that it is frustrating.”

Neighbour disputes have increased, he says, as people spend much more time at home than they used to.

The majority of people were law abiding in lockdown, he says, but he’s had to give out a fair few tickets to rule-breakers.

“There were pressures at beauty spots. We have had to give out tickets at Birling Gap, Ashdown Forest. Every time there was a bank holiday weekend, you were bracing yourself.”

Police had to investigate a rave which broke out in Friston Forest, he says. A dog walker stumbled upon some pounding music and revellers partying one morning.

Then there was the incident at Gildredge Park in Eastbourne, which Wealden police were called in for back up.

Hundreds of youngsters – many of them from the Midlands, having booked overnight accommodation – descended on the park for a party on July 24. It quickly broke into chaos when police turned up to shut it down.

Officers were assaulted and two police cars were damaged. Four people were arrested.

Throughout the pandemic police have had to deal with people claiming they have covid-19 – some even coughing and spitting at officers.

“I’ve had people saying ‘I’ve got covid’ hoping we will go away. We won’t,” says Sergeant Kath Nevill.

She says working during the pandemic was “getting your head around the fear of the unknown. It has been a challenging time but it has been stimulating”.

Reflecting on the role police have played, Inspector Gross said, “We have gone out and supported clap for the NHS and for care homes.

“But we have tried to acknowledge to our own staff it’s been a very surreal time to be delivering a public facing service.

“On a day-to-day basis we are putting staff in difficult situations which we are advising the public not to do.

“Sometimes there’s no choice, you have got to run to it and get stuck in.

“They are leaving loved ones at home and trying their best. They are more vulnerable to picking up this disease than the average member of the public.

“We don’t talk about it a lot but it’s there in the back of people’s minds.”

He says he is ‘incredibly grateful’ that sickness rates are so low among the force.

“I think it’s been quite an impressive effort across the board. People are still keen to come in.

“We are still in our policing family here. But it comes with the flip side, we have all got personal stress about what we are exposed to.

“It’s not been easy. There’s some real pressures. It has been a challenge. But we have got to come into work.”

Looking to the winter months ahead, what does he think we have in store?

“I think these conditions will be in place for a while. Christmas is obviously an emotional thing. Whether or not the government will be minded to ease things – who knows?

“That will be down to the R rate. But that will be a testing time. There will be lots more people tempted to breach regulations.

“If you can’t have your extended family around why are next door doing it?”

In the event of a local lockdown, he says police will be prepared to crackdown on rulebreakers to show there will be consequences.

Meanwhile, PC Sarah Poplett is part of the Wealden Neighbourhood Policing Team.

“I feel lucky to do this job,” she says, “There’s been people working from home. But our job hasn’t changed.

“We have had to go to properties even if there is a covid risk. Sometimes you don’t know the risks.

“It’s probably best not knowing, you don’t have a choice.”

But PC Poplett has a very optimistic view of the Wealden public’s attitude to lockdown and coronavirus rules.

She said, “I think the community have been amazing dealing with it and we have received a lot of positive comments. And overwhelmingly most young people are doing what they should do.”