Policing the pandemic: public views of the police approach to enforcement of covid-19 public health regulations in Trinidad and Tobago

ABSTRACT The global lockdown that began in March 2020 as a result of Covid-19 pandemic created numerous challenges for employees and employers, and policing was no exception. As the coercive arm of the state, police officers were asked by governments all over the world to enforce restrictions on the movement of people in an effort to ensure compliance with Covid-19 Public Health regulations. As a result of this increased mandate given to the police, the authors of this article were interested in the impact that the enforcement of Covid-19 regulations had on the relationship between the public and the police in Trinidad and Tobago. With this in mind, a quantitative, online approach was utilized to achieve the study’s goals. The study utilized adult residents of Trinidad and Tobago (n = 1,675) and questioned them on their views regarding the approach taken by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) in enforcing Covid-19 regulations. The quantitative data were analyzed overall as well as by Police Division, age, ethnicity, and gender. The results indicated overall support for the police enforcement of Covid-19 regulations as well as equitableness in their enforcement of the regulations. Other results and implications for policy are discussed.