![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2.44633198.jpg\")
Northern Ireland\u2019s police have no plans for mass surveillance of social-distancing behavior.<\/p>\nNorthern Ireland\u2019s police have no plans for mass surveillance of social-distancing behavior.<\/p>\n
The Police Service of Northern Ireland\u2019s Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd was speaking after Derbyshire Police received criticism for posting drone footage of a couple walking their dog, as the force urged members of the public not to travel for their daily exercise.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the approach that we\u2019ll be taking, we\u2019ll be taking very much a policing with a community and human rights approach\u2026 concentrating on the four \u2018Es\u2019 of engaging, explaining and encouraging before we involve ourselves in enforcement,\u201d he told the PA news agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we haven\u2019t any plans or intention at this moment in time to go into mass surveillance including drones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey (Derbyshire Police) need to speak for themselves but I\u2019ll not be doing it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Mr Todd also urged people not to drive from their homes to beauty spots for walks, warning it could lead to more scenes such as when more than 100 cars gathered at Murlough Bay, and \u201csituations where social distancing is difficult\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would prefer from a policing perspective that people stayed more locally to their houses and didn\u2019t travel long distances merely to go for a walk,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Todd said he expects the PSNI to receive beefed-up powers over social distancing by the weekend \u201cat the latest\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an urgency to that, we\u2019re expecting to see that legislation if not today, certainly over the weekend,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The new powers are expected to include dispersing groups and issuing fines.<\/p>\n
Mr Todd, who is leading the PSNI\u2019s response to the coronavirus pandemic, said he feels they are \u201cwell prepared but not complacent\u201d ahead of the surge.<\/p>\n
He declined to say how many staff and officers have tested positive for Covid-19 so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do have the numbers, I monitor them on a daily basis but we\u2019re not making those numbers public at this time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are hugely challenging circumstances and I think if anyone in my position said they had of all this in hand, they would be complacent.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far we have got our policing service on a stable fitting\u2026 we have significant plans for the coming weeks and we are now looking to plan beyond that again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Todd said there is \u201cno policing requirement\u201d to ask for military assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a healthcare crisis, if the health minister or the Executive have a request for the military to perform a particular function in a particular place, that would be for them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in terms of policing or policing the streets, I have no requirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also revealed like retired health workers, former police officers have been offering to return to work to help with the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe re-training demands that that would create make that a difficult step because of the unique circumstances of policing in Northern Ireland,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA significant number of former officers have offered to volunteer for various pieces and we are redirecting to the wider Executive effort to harness volunteers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCops are cops, when things are hard, they like to step forward and help communities.\u201d<\/p>\n