Coronavirus: The difficulty of policing Covid-19 restrictions

The PSNI has handed out about 800 spot fines of £60 or more during the Covid-19 pandemic - but finds itself in a debate over claims of inaction on face coverings.

Not a single penalty has been issued in respect of masks in shops or on public transport since they became mandatory.

In England and Wales (a population of 60m), just 89 fines have been handed out, showing this law is being enforced with a light touch across the UK.

By his own admission, it is not a space the Chief Constable Simon Byrne wants his officers to rush into.

The PSNI sees a large part of the onus being on retailers to ensure customers comply with the law.

It also takes direction from health experts and Stormont on where enforcement priorities should lie at any given time.

After all, this is a health emergency and these are health regulations.

But it was, nonetheless, a frank admission by the Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd on BBC's Talkback programme on Friday that usual operational independence does not apply here.

Enforcement on masks "is not a unilateral position" for police to take, ACC Todd said.

Pubs and house parties have previously been the focus of action, so are masks next?

The Stormont executive is promising harsher fines and a tougher approach on rule breaking, but whether that means a mask crackdown or something else remains to be seen.

But however it manifests itself, it poses challenges.

Crime dropped by 30% during lockdown, giving police space to juggle resources, but it is now back to nearer normal levels.

Redirecting officers and priorities could be more difficult and the PSNI is under tremendous budgetary strain.

And any new, more aggressive strategy would need to be balanced with longer-term impacts.

As Bobby Storey's funeral and the Black Lives Matter protests have shown, police actions in NI face scrutiny, and potential consequences, like no other part of the UK.

Meanwhile, it was announced on Sunday that a 46-year-old woman has been charged with breaching coronavirus regulations in Strabane.

The woman is the first person in Northern Ireland to be charged under the new legislation and is due to appear at Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Monday.