Webinar COVID 22/2020: Policing the pandemic - lessons (to be) learned

Early last year, the emergence and spread of a new virus-based illness arrived at European shores; few observer in the media or law enforcement were in position to foresee the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would have on daily lives of citizens and law enforcement professionals alike. While governments attempt to keep control of a quickly deteriorating public-health situation by introducing restrictions on free movement, consumer trade and assembly in private and public areas, police and other law enforcement bodies had no choice but to adopt to the disruption of social and professional routines and to enforce previously unimaginable novel rules of “social distancing” and “mask-wearing” on a large scale. In the series of previous CEPOL COVID-webinars some light have been shed on the opportunities for serious and less-serious crime created by the “New Normal” of the pandemic condition and the ways European law enforcement officials having tried to react.

Following up on presentations of research- and analysis based facts & finding made by experts from Europol, Michigan State University, Heidelberg University and University of Grenoble in CEPOL-Webinar 1/2020 (“(Almost) A Year of Policing the Pandemic”) on 28 January, this webinar will focus on conclusions and recommendations deriving from scientific surveys, studies and dedicated analysis of the impact the pandemic had on law enforcement institutions, officers and relations with the general public. Experienced officials and distinguished scholars will present from multi-disciplinary perspectives.

The overall objective of this webinar is to inform participants on the outcome of recent analysis and research surveys.