Nearly £1 million spent on 46 new Covid enforcement officers
Nearly £1 million will be spent employing 46 new Covid enforcement officers by Birmingham council, it has been revealed.
They include 24 Covid marshals which will cover the city, 12 environmental health enforcement officers and eight officers dedicated to parks and open spaces.
Announced on Monday, with the introduction of an England-wide lockdown due from Thursday, the council will be spending £900,000 on the new positions.
The Covid marshals are likely to be based in Business Improvement Districts, and will be equipped with face coverings which they will distribute free of charge to people not wearing them where appropriate.
The funding, drawn down from central government, will also be used to purchase related equipment and technology that the officers will need such as PPE, IT and body-worn cameras – in addition to the production of leaflets, letter drops to businesses and safety message signage in parks and at roadsides.
The city’s universities will also receive funding to promote Covid-19 safety messages on campus, particularly around halls of residence and supporting fresher year students, while money will be made available to faith groups to help with advice on safe practices and some of the sectors following on from life events such as weddings and funerals/wakes.
Impact
Speaking following the announcement of the funding, council leader Ian Ward said he hopes it will help get the appropriate messaging through to Birmingham’s communities.
“Working with the communities of Birmingham to keep people safe has never been more important and these measures will strengthen our collective response as we head into the winter, by focussing on specific areas where the new resources will have the greatest impact,” he said.
“We all have a part to play in protecting our loved ones, neighbours and colleagues and in addition to this enforcement package, we should all carry on with the basics of regular hand washing, wearing a face covering where required, keeping socially distant and getting tested when you have symptoms.
“If we all do these things, we will keep Birmingham as safe as possible.”
