Call for tougher sentences as attacks on West Mercia Police officers rise during lockdown
The number of assaults on West Mercia Police officers has risen over lockdown, leading the region's crime commissioner to call for tougher sentences for those responsible.
The situation in West Mercia has seen a rise in the number of people attacking police officers compared to last year – with assaults during lockdown also up overall.
Up until June this year there were 320 assaults on the force's officers – 181 between January and March, and 139 between April and June.
It compares to 288 in the same period in 2019 – 141 between January and March, and 147 between April and June.
Across the UK, police forces have suffered a 21 per cent increase in assaults on their officers over the lockdown period.
Figures from 31 forces across the country show that at least 7,863 instances of assault were recorded over the first three months of lockdown, compared with 6,505 for the same period in 2019.
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This comes as a recent study involving 40,000 police officers and staff showed that 88 per cent of officers said they had been assaulted during their career, with 39 per cent having been attacked in the past year.
West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said tougher sentences are needed to act as a deterrent.
He said: “Officer assaults are sadly increasing year-on-year. During the Covid-19 lockdown period, overall crime reduced. Unfortunately officer assaults in West Mercia have not followed suit.”
“I have been committed to raising awareness of assaults on frontline workers, and making sure that the right support is in place for officers that have been victims of crime.
"The statistics serve to reinforce my support for tougher sentencing for the minority that assault frontline workers, and to send a clear message that this behaviour won’t be tolerated.
"Assaults have far reaching effects on officers, their families, friends and colleagues which cannot be under-estimated. I will do everything I can to support action to bring the perpetrators of this type of crime to justice.”
Leicestershire Police recorded the most substantial increase of 102 per cent, with 205 cases noted in the first three months of lockdown, up from 101 the previous year.
The next largest increase of 57 per cent was recorded by Derbyshire Constabulary, followed by South Yorkshire Police and Cleveland Police each noting a rise of 55 per cent.
Leicestershire Police's Chief Constable Simon Cole said a "particularly distasteful trend" of offenders spitting and coughing on officers and threatening to infect them with coronavirus has also developed countrywide.
He said: "The rise in assaults has huge impacts on staff both physically and mentally, and it has a huge impact on communities.
"Thousands and thousands of days of policing are lost because of these assaults."
He added: "I think officers and staff know that they have to take risks on occasion, and they understand that, it comes with the nature of policing. But you can also see that they're concerned."
Some 38 offenders spat on Leicestershire Police officers in the first three months of lockdown, compared with 20 last year, and coughing entered the offence records with 10 incidents in 2020, up from zero.
Mr Cole said police forces are working together in an attempt to safeguard their officers against assault, and all his officers have been equipped with body-worn cameras to record any incidents as court evidence.
All 43 forces will be establishing more contact time with personal safety trainers following the rise in assaults, as recommended by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).
The NPCC also wants suspects who spit at police to be forced to give a blood sample to test for disease, and also called for spit guards to be issued to all officers if supported by local risk assessments.
