Police must prepare for a “more volatile and agitated society” after the end of the UK’s coronavirus lockdown, a senior officer has warned.
With the restrictions extended until at least 7 May, there are concerns about the effect of unemployment, mental health issues, abuse inside homes and a general need for “release”.
The president of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) called for leaders to prepare for what might happen when the current restrictions are lifted.
“There’s not been much debate at the moment about what the future looks like because we’re all in the present,” Chief Superintendent Paul Griffiths told The Independent.
“But we’ve got to look at the social and economic impact … there are going to be people who are out of work, businesses that have not been able to sustain themselves, and the impact on society will start to come through.
“If there are challenges economically, there is sometimes a rise in crime and disorder.”
Some research has predicted that the coronavirus outbreak will trigger a global economic slump bigger than the Great Depression of the 1930s, although there is hope that the lifting of lockdown conditions around the world will swiftly reinvigorate markets.
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