I FEEL it is an opportune moment to look again at connectivity and Sir Robert Peel’s 1829 principles as we move out of lockdown and work towards, as the Government puts it, a form of returning to normality from June 21.

It is without a doubt that the next few months will bring new challenges to us all, including the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.

During the previous lockdown the emphasis on officers was to engage, explain and encourage – the ‘four Es’ – with enforcement being used only as a last resort.

I am sure there are many of us who have our own views on the success or otherwise of this approach but from the feedback I’ve received as a councillor, it seems to have been well received.

I am aware that fixed penalty notices have been issued but only a few.

So let’s look at connectivity which one dictionary defines as comparability, correspondence, integration, congruence, kinship.

Robert Peel stated that the ability of the police to perform its duties is dependent upon public approval of police existence, its actions, behaviour and the ability to secure and maintain public respect.

In the recent lockdown those principles have, in many instances, been brought into question and tested. Looking again at an ex-police officer’s vision that was shared with me, it was considered that policing by consent was paramount for this model to survive and that continued public co-operation, consent and approval is critical.

In my opinion that surely must still be the case.

Robert Peel said in 1829 that the police should use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient to achieve the police objectives.

The four Es used by our officers during the pandemic surely meets Peel’s objectives.

The Policing and Crime Act 2009 and the Community Engagement and Membership Regulations 2010 clearly had a vision, as within their pages it states: ‘There is a requirement to have regard to the views of the people in the authority’s area about policing in that area’.

Sir Robert Peel’s principles, The Policing and Crime Act and the Community Engagement and Membership Regulations, all unequivocally refer to engagement and connectivity with the public, seeing them as partners and working towards the safety and security of residents, businesses and visitors.

We are fortunate here in Devon to have, in my opinion, the loveliest places to live. Our countryside, towns, villages and hamlets, two beautiful coastlines all providing tremendous opportunities to explore and enjoy.

However, these attributes bring with them challenges as we all know from the past when lockdown was eased and our roads became jammed, beaches and sea fronts crowded and our open spaces a magnet for those wanting to escape the restrictions imposed upon us for our own health and safety.

It has been stated many times that ease of lockdown has put added strain on resources and officers within Devon and Cornwall who have had to use their judgements and the four Es to address many of the concerns.

It is without a doubt that from now on, as this lockdown eases in stages, our pent-up frustrations and expectations will come to the surface once again and it will fall upon the dedicated officers to address the many different aspects.

Maybe now is the appropriate time to remind ourselves of the principles first laid down by Sir Robert Peel in 1829 and which are still part of policing today.

We need to consider connectivity and how each of us can play our part in ensuring that we all move forward to whatever is the new ‘norm’.