Tough Sentences For Assaulting Officers Should Continue

“WE shouldn’t have to be in the middle of a crisis for assaults on officers to be taken as seriously as they are being.”

Essex Police Federation is calling on tough sentences for those who assault police officers to continue once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

Jail terms are starting to be handed down to those who have weaponised the virus by coughing on or spitting at officers on the frontline.

And Chairman Steve Taylor hopes that stance will still be taken when things are back to some level of normality.

He said: “Our partners in the justice system have been supportive, and we are seeing very tough sentences being handed down to those that are stupid enough to attack emergency service workers in this way, which is how it always should be.

“We shouldn’t have to be in the middle of a crisis for assaults on officers to be taken as seriously as they are being. So hopefully that will continue past the crisis and into the future.”

Incidents have occurred in Essex, but Steve said he was confident they had been dealt with in the right way.

Nationally, the PFEW have called spitting and coughing on emergency workers during the crisis a ‘vile assault’ and badged perpetrators as the ‘lowest form of life.’

Chair John Apter said: “These are the sort of vile, disgusting individuals that my colleagues have to deal with daily.

“Why this is different, is this virus is so contagious and so deadly, and there is a real sense of fear out there. Those who weaponise this virus are the lowest form of life – they deserve every day they spend in prison.

“We’re seeing these individuals continuing to abuse and spit and cough at not only my colleagues but paramedics, nurses and others – it’s disgusting, and they need to be made an example of.”