Every diary tells a story

My diary for this week looks good!  Last Saturday I was going to see LCFC v Man U, a highlight of the season.  During the week I hope to see the County play cricket against Durham at Grace Road.  And, to finish the week off, I have little doubt that I would be at Wembley to see the Foxes win the FA Cup final for the first time.

Sadly, thanks to COVID-19, the diary has changed somewhat.

But people are finding new ways to relax.  The great outdoors has never been so popular, joggers and cyclists are everywhere, including yours truly from time to time. 

Many events have been cancelled or postponed because of the virus. Many businesses are struggling as a result.  The police are also noticing the loss of income gained from policing big events like Kasabian and Download.

Nonetheless, whilst my City scarf has remained in the drawer, my Police & Crime Commissioner work has continued.  I’ve been meeting – virtually of course – with our MPs, with local policing commanders, with the leaders of our Community Safety Partnerships and very interestingly, young people in our Youth Parliament. I wanted to find out what they feel about the current situation, how it is affecting community safety in their area and most importantly I wanted to stay in touch.

I wanted them to know that we are doing everything we can to maintain vital support services. In many cases that support may be remote, but it is still available to those who need it. I advised them that they should continue to raise local concerns with my office, I will listen, and I will try to make a difference where possible.

As we move towards a ‘new normal’, I’m aware that many things will change over the short, medium, and long-term.  Freedoms that we took for granted will now require more thought. 

Surely, we must hope that some good will surely emerge from the COVID-19 outbreak that has brought us so much pain and disruption. Everything I have seen so far shows what a resilient and determined community we are.  Together we are strong.

The weather looks promising, so I hope that you enjoy the bank holiday weekend – social distancing of course!

Willy Bach