Civil liberties groups have called police use of drones to enforce social distancing ‘sinister’ and ‘counter-productive’.
On Thursday, a new law gave police in England the power to use force to make people return home if they did not have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for being outside.
Campaigners say they are ‘extremely concerned’ about the ‘coercive powers’ awarded to authorities and doubt they will be effective in stopping Covid-19.
Advocacy director at Liberty Clare Collier said: ‘This is a pandemic and so it should be treated as a public health issue. Instead the government is treating it as a criminal justice issue, putting resources into detaining and criminalising.’
Collier added that the current approach will damage the public’s relationship with the police in the long term.
Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch called the new police powers ‘chilling’, and warned they created a ‘serious risk’ of arbitrary policing.
She said: ‘Authorities are right to take robust measures to protect public health, but in truth the only way we can control the spread is through well-informed community cooperation, not just criminalisation.’
One police force has already defended its use of a drone cameras to shame those driving into a national park during lockdown.
Another has said it would introduce roadblocks to stop drivers heading to popular tourist spots.
People who ignore restrictions on movement could receive a £60 fine and another for £120 for a second offence.
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