Policing response to COVID-19

Part of: Behind the frontline Policing on the beat

In July 2020, we announced our intention to inspect the police response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our inspection took a snapshot of policing and assessed what happened from March to November 2020.

We consulted many interested parties about the aspects of policing that our inspection should cover.

Our inspection focused on:

  • preparation for the pandemic;
  • overall leadership;
  • working with other organisations;
  • policing – workforce well-being, protecting people who are vulnerable, requests for service, investigating crime, enforcing coronavirus legislation (the Four Es approach – engage, explain, encourage, enforce); and
  • arrangements for keeping people in custody.

In April 2021, we published our findings.

Get the report

Policing in the pandemic – The police response to the coronavirus pandemic during 2020

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Police generally responded well to exceptional circumstances of pandemic

Custody services in a COVID-19 environment

At the same time, we published a report on custody services. This report supplements the wider inspection with more detailed findings on how custody services operated from March to November 2020.

It aims to:

  • increase the police service’s national and local understanding of how custody services operate in a COVID-19 environment;
  • show how services have been/are affected and how police forces are responding; and
  • establish what improvements forces and the wider criminal justice system can make.

Get the report

Custody services in a COVID-19 environment

Get the press release

Police generally responded well to exceptional circumstances of pandemic

We also inspected the fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.