A GOVERNMENT commitment to provide additional funding to help compliance with new Coronavirus (Covid-19) measures has been welcomed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Police forces and councils will be given an initial £60m provided by central Government to support those enforcing the new regulations.

The new precautions include rules around the number of people who can assemble in one place and the wearing of face masks.

The funding will be in addition to existing budgets and could be used to pay for police officer overtime or Covid-19 marshals.

Commissioner Alison Hernandez said there was an urgent need for clarity about the allocation of the funding to enable police and partners to agree local arrangements.

“My office stands ready to work with partners to ensure that we can maximise our access to these funds and put them to the best use,” she said.

“One of the areas that funding might support would appear to be Covid-19 marshals.

“I really hope this is the case – and would welcome this as I have been pressing officials in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to ensure that marshal arrangements are backed up by funding.

“Marshals will need the right support, structures and skills to handle what could be difficult situations.

“Dedicated funding will enable local areas to ensure they can get the right schemes in place – using the right people in the right way to help our communities, encourage compliance and prevent this disease spreading further.”

Commissioner Hernandez said her office had shown over the summer that it had a scheme in Devon and Cornwall that had worked, delivering more than 13,000 of marshalling hours over the three months of summer across 20 locations.

“I remain confident that we can work with our communities and partners to ensure residents of our force area remain among the safest in the country as we enter autumn and winter, so welcome the additional financial support that will enable us achieve this ambition,” she said.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Summer Safety Scheme pioneered Covid-19 wardens and the model is now being replicated elsewhere to assist with compliance to social distancing measures.