Police forces across the UK will make officers work 12-hour shifts and put plain clothes police back in uniform to answer 999 calls under plans to cover sick staff in plans being drawn up to tackle the coronavirus crisis.
Historical crimes – like the 2007 disappearance of Maddie McCann – will also be put on hold as police prioritise cases where there is a ‘critical’ need to investigate.
In a worst case scenario, MailOnline has been told that as much as 30 per cent of Britain’s police force could be infected by the Covid-19 bug during the peak period in late May and early June.
This would equate to around 38,000 out of 126,000 officers nationwide being affected.
The police will be backed up by 20,000 military personnel, who would also be called upon to continue transporting food and medical supplies in the event of delivery drivers falling ill.
Police forces across the UK will make officers work 12-hour shifts and put plain clothes police back in uniform to answer 999 calls under plans to cover sick staff in plans being drawn up to tackle the coronavirus crisis
Historical crimes – like the 2007 disappearance of Maddie McCann – will also be put on hold as police prioritise cases where there is a ‘critical’ need to investigate
In a worst case scenario, MailOnline has been told that as much as 30 per cent of Britain’s police force could be infected by the Covid-19 bug during the peak period in late May and early June. That would equate to around 38,000 out of 126,000 officers nationwide
These military personnel would also be responsible for moving bodies to mortuaries under the plans being considered.
Makeshift morgues – like the one installed outside Westminster Coroner’s Court yesterday and St Thomas’s Hospital today – are to be brought in across the country should the death toll climb steeply.
Plans could also include refrigerated lorries, normally used to transport meat and other chilled goods, being used instead to store bodies.
A government source told MailOnline: ‘The coronavirus is unprecedented in living memory and so the measures the police have to take are unprecedented.
‘The mapping shows that, in the worst case scenario, as much as 25 -30 per cent of the population could be infected at the peak time, which is estimated to be late May or early June.
‘That could be mirrored across the police force so contingency plans are being put in place and, although they need to be finalised, one of the main points is increasing police shift rates from nine-hours to 12-hours.
‘CID officers will be asked to carry on their duties but asked to do so in uniform so they are able to quickly respond to a 999 call should they need to.
‘I know of at least one force up north who are close to bringing this in.’
The police will be backed up by 20,000 military personnel, who would also be called upon to continue transporting food and medical supplies in the event of delivery drivers falling ill. They would also be responsible for moving bodies to mortuaries under the plans being considered
Makeshift morgues – like the one installed outside Westminster Coroner’s Court yesterday (above) and St Thomas’s Hospital today – are to be brought in across the country should the death toll climb steeply
A government source told MailOnline: ‘The coronavirus is unprecedented in living memory. Plans are being put in place and, although they need to be finalised, one of the main points is increasing police shift rates from nine-hours to 12-hours’
The source said it was vital that resources were focused in the right areas.
‘With fewer officers, the police will be told to prioritise crimes where there is a critical need to investigate or if there is a danger of evidence being lost if they don’t act straight away,’ he said.
‘The first cases to be parked will be historic investigations, for example the investigation into the disappearance of Madeline McCann.
‘In terms of replacing officers, if any armed police officers become sick the plan is to replace them with officers from the civil nuclear constabulary and if they get sick, they will be replaced by the military.
‘The possibility of mutual aid, the providing of police assistance from one force to another.’
With a third of the cases and deaths from coronavirus occurring in London, the capital is being deemed the epicentre of the UK outbreak.
The source continued: ‘Potentially officers from outside forces could be brought in as cover – as they were during the 2011 riots – as long as they can afford to do so.
‘There is also cover from the military, aside from assisting police they will have two main roles; taking over from delivery drivers in the event of sickness to make sure food, medicine and other vital supplies continue and to transport the dead to mortuaries.’
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said that retired police officers and volunteers could be drafted in to make up numbers if coronavirus causes staff shortages
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said earlier this week that retired police officers and volunteers could be drafted in to make up numbers if coronavirus causes staff shortages.
She said: ‘We need to be flexible, we are a people organisation and of course it’s likely as other people are coming into contact with the virus some of my people will as well.
‘We have had plans in place for a long time to be able to move people around, to change people from one role to another, to make sure we protect the really mission-critical services.
‘We have not ruled out any option in terms of boosting our numbers.
‘We have lots of people who volunteer with the Met, we can bring them in more, and indeed there may be some areas where it would make sense to bring in some retired officers to help us out.’
It comes as the NHS also appealed to entice former and foreign doctors to return.