MEZIESBLOG

Leaders shared concerns that a lack of confidence in policing could ‘spill over into public order issues’ – Patel

The inquiry’s counsel Hugo Keith KC now moves to discuss data released in June 2020. 

He says it showed there was a “disproportionate imposition of fixed penalty notices on people of black and ethnic minority backgrounds.” 

Dame Priti Patel says the data “raised concerns” in the policing operation of lockdown rules. 

The former home secretary explains the Home Office was “very conscientious” about public confidence in policing, and she was aware there could be “knock-on ramifications” in terms of trust due to how the pandemic was handled by police. 

She says there were concerns that a lack of public confidence in the policing operation could “spill over into public order issues”. 

“So there were a range of considerations and discussions that were taking place throughout,” she adds. 

She admits police forces did find it “challenging” to have consistency in their operations. 

“There is no one-size-fits-all policy in terms of police and in different parts of the country, particularly when we’re at the stage where we had local lockdowns and some communities were more affected,” she says.