New Government figures that show 413 Staffordshire Police officers were assaulted in the last year have been branded “appalling” by Federation branch chair Phil Jones.
Phil said it was unacceptable that officers are being attacked and called for courts to use their full sentencing powers to punish offenders.
“These new figures are appalling and unacceptable,” he said. “These figures cover the coronavirus lockdowns and will include vile acts such as spitting on colleagues while claiming to have the virus, as well as physical assaults such as punching, kicking and biting. It’s sickening.
“Every day police officers go to work prepared to run towards danger to help the vulnerable but they shouldn’t be attacked just for doing their job.”
The figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed there were 166 assaults on Staffordshire officers causing injury in the year ending March 2021 and a further 247 assaults on officers without injury.
Nationally, there has been a 14 per cent rise in assaults on police officers. In the year ending March 2021, there were almost 37,000 assaults on police officers in England and Wales, including British Transport Police.
Of those, 25,734 were assaults without injury on a constable, an increase of 21 per cent compared with 21,321 in the previous year.
And 11,235 were assaults with injury on a constable, up by 1.2 per cent compared with 11,106 in the previous year.
Phil said: “We need to do more to protect the protectors. There can be no place for attacks on police officers and we need the support of the courts in sending out the message it won’t be tolerated.”
