Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has announced it will use new powers under the Crime and Policing Act to crack down on face coverings at protests, saying the measure is needed to ensure public safety and effective policing. The force is among the first in England to signal how it intends to deploy the powers, which allow officers to require individuals to remove coverings that obscure their identity in specific circumstances.
New powers, new application
The Crime and Policing Act introduced a range of measures aimed at strengthening the police response to public order incidents. Among them are provisions that give officers the authority to direct individuals at protests to remove face coverings when there is a reasonable suspicion that the coverings are being worn to conceal identity in the context of criminal activity. Hampshire Police say they will apply these powers where necessary to protect the safety of the public and the police themselves.
The force’s announcement has drawn attention because it represents one of the earliest public articulations of how the new provisions will be used in practice. Police commanders have framed the approach as targeted and proportionate, stressing that it is not an attempt to restrict the right to protest but rather to prevent the concealment of identity where it facilitates unlawful behaviour.
The use of face coverings at protests has long been a contentious issue. Campaigners argue that coverings can be worn for legitimate reasons, including physical protection or privacy, while police forces contend that they can also shield those intent on violence or criminal damage from identification and accountability. The new powers attempt to strike a balance, but how they are applied on the ground is likely to be closely watched.
Why it matters
The announcement matters because it sets an early precedent for how the Crime and Policing Act’s face-covering provisions will be used across England and Wales. Police forces are often cautious about deploying new public-order powers before the boundaries of their application are well understood, both legally and in terms of public reaction. Hampshire’s decision to go on the record about its intentions could influence other forces, particularly in areas where large or contentious protests are anticipated. The move also feeds into a broader national conversation about the limits of protest, the balance between public safety and civil liberties, and the extent to which police should be able to compel individuals to reveal their faces in public spaces.
What happens next
How the powers are applied in practice will come under scrutiny from civil liberties groups, protest organisers, and legal observers. Any use of the powers that results in challenge or complaint could test the boundaries of the legislation in ways that shape its future interpretation. Hampshire Police are expected to issue further operational guidance as circumstances develop, and other forces may follow suit in setting out their own approaches. The Home Office has not indicated whether it plans to issue national guidance on the use of the provisions, leaving individual forces to determine how to implement them.
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