Safe distancing

Appoint freelance plainclothes people to help out with policing

The writer says that the multi-ministry task force could consider deploying some freelance plainclothes safe distancing enforcing officers from a pool of people who are willing and able to do this. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The writer says that the multi-ministry task force could consider deploying some freelance plainclothes safe distancing enforcing officers from a pool of people who are willing and able to do this. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Despite tightened Covid-19 curbs, I still see many tables with more than two patrons at coffee shops.

As a socially responsible person who abides by the rules and am fully vaccinated, I find myself helpless when I see such scenarios.

Besides taking photos to send to the authorities, I would like to do more, but if I try to remind these people of the measures, they will say I am being a busybody.

Perhaps the multi-ministry task force could consider deploying some freelance plainclothes safe distancing enforcing officers from a pool of people who are willing and able to do this. These people can be empowered to enforce rules as and when they come across transgressors on the ground.

These people might not be restricted to the working hours of current safe distancing ambassadors and could be deployed at places the ambassadors are not at. I think this would keep the public on constant alert, as they would not know who might be an enforcer with the right to issue warnings and summons to them, and would go a long way in our fight against Covid-19.

Tan Joon Mian

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 22, 2021, with the headline Appoint freelance plainclothes people to help out with policing. Subscribe