SOUTH Yorkshire Police Officers are bracing themselves for what will be a \u2018historically busy\u2019 next six months.<\/p>\n
With the easing of lockdown, a major football tournament, \u2018kill the bill\u2019 protests, COP26 and the G7 summits all on the horizon, South Yorkshire Police Federation says things are not going to get easier for already stretched and stressed officers.<\/p>\n
Chair Steve Kent says the force is also nearing pre-pandemic levels of demand as the night-time economy across the region starts to wake up following the latest COVID lockdown.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cPeople are enjoying this time, and the easing of lifting, and officers are starting to get their own lives back on track, but there is a bit of a cloud over the horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is some apprehension around what this summer\u2019s going to be like with the demands of the G7, Euros and more lockdown release dates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mood is this is going to be a potentially historically busy next five to six months coming up, and demand is starting to creep back in even higher than it has been before, so that\u2019s going to start to take its toll at some point too.\u201d<\/p>\n
That demand has seen a rise in non-lockdown compliance alongside some high-profile serious crimes to deal with.<\/p>\n
Steve said officers are now starting to get the all-important COVID vaccinations they need as they deal with this rise in demand out on the streets.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSadly, we\u2019ve not seen the same levels of co-operation with lockdown as we probably did the first time, so there has been a lot more activity out there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a couple of high-profile cases in South Yorkshire involving serious offences and murder, which has obviously added demands and strain.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re at that usual point now, and we have been for a little while, and it\u2019s only going to get potentially worse over the next six months.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good news is the force is still doing its very best to get as many officers and staff vaccinated as possible through the appropriate means, which is very welcome from us, so credit where it\u2019s due.\u201d<\/p>\n