Police and public at large letting themselves down over new pandemic rules

In response to Bill Carmichael’s column on the police “abusing” their powers under the current Covid-19 restrictions (The Yorkshire Post, April 3), I agree with part of article, particularly Derbyshire Police putting dye in a lake to make it less appealing! That was an appalling mistake on someone’s part.

I feel that filming vehicles visiting the Peak District was acceptable to an extent, but to then publish these details of the vehicles and their place of registration is totally wrong and maybe even a breach of data protection legislation too.

As a retired police officer myself, I am well aware that the police do “police by consent” and this type of point scoring exercise being announced on social media by different police forces is the modern way that chief constables seem to employ, even before the current pandemic.

I think it shows merit in normal times and gives crime statistical information for the public, but this publication of numbers of tickets issued for breaching regulations is totally inappropriate.

Bill Carmichael, and indeed the former Supreme Court Judge Lord Sumption, are correct in stating that the police need the public’s support. However, in order for the nation to collectively overcome this horrendous pandemic, the public need to play their part also by following Government advice to stay at home, only go out when essential for food shopping or medical attention or helping another vulnerable person.

At the moment there are still people driving out to wherever for exercise themselves or their dog, far beyond what the Government has suggested is reasonable. As Bill says in the article, we all like to wander over the moors, have a lunchtime pint and pop into the local shops, nobody more than me – I’ve spent a large part of my adult life wandering the moors and dales and I wish I was doing it now instead of being confined to my home.

However, now is not the time for wandering; common sense is quite often lacking from the modern day police activities, but there have been numerous examples nationwide of the general public showing a total lack of common sense in their behaviour recently.

I wish Bill, when asking the police to show some common sense, might apply a similar request to the public at large and to some of his more pompous self-opinionated journalistic colleagues throughout the country. Despite their belief, they actually do not know better than we do!

From: Phil Donnelly, Shepley, Huddersfield.

Excellent, and timely, piece by Bill Carmichael concerning police conduct – well played Bill and well played The Yorkshire Post.

Hundreds of responsible Yorkshire hikers, bird-watchers and nature-lovers find traversing the moors and uplands of our National Parks life-enhancing, physically and mentally, especially in spring and especially at times like these.

Yes, restrict access to just individuals and pairs and, yes, give greater powers to park wardens and volunteers to monitor and record law-breakers, especially illegal fire-lighters and dogs off-lead irresponsibly, and no I don’t think car parks will be any more overwhelmed than the main supermarkets are.

From: Keith Alford, Fulwood, Sheffield.

Bill Carmichael asserts his libertarian credentials by attacking the actions of Derbyshire Police putting black dye into a local beauty spot to discourage visitors.

If he had checked the facts, he would have discovered that the so called Blue Lagoon is a disused quarry containing polluted water concealing car wrecks, dead animals and rubbish. In partnership with the local authority, they regularly dye the water to discourage anti-social behaviour. Rather than exceeding their powers and ruining a beauty spot, they have highlighted a potential death trap.

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

BILL Carmichael’s dismissal of police “wasting their time on fashionable causes” cannot go unchallenged. Well considered evidence indicates that, at this time, only those on vital work should go outside their own areas. This is not a “fashionable cause”; it is for the protection of all of us.

As always, we have a car-bound coterie who claim “but I know better – this doesn’t apply to me”. Are they perhaps the same self-obsessives whom the police have recently clocked at up to 130mph on North Yorkshire’s roads?

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James Mitchinson

Editor