Officer assaults “risk being relegated to second-degree crime”

THIRTEEN Essex Police officers are assaulted on duty every week, according to Government statistics.

However Essex Police Federation said it believes the true figure of attacks on Essex Police officers – listed as 666 over the past financial year by the Home Office – is actually much higher. And encouraged all officers to let the force know when they are assaulted on duty otherwise assaults on officers’ risk being relegated to second-degree crimes.

“The reality, I think, would show that that number is far higher,” said Steve Taylor, Chairman of Essex Police Federation.

“I think we need a bit of a cultural change. It’s not acceptable to be assaulted in the execution of your duties. And that cultural changes come if we’re not completing ‘use of force’ forms, and the forms for officers who are assaulted, if we’re not taking the time to do those properly, we don’t get an accurate picture of what that level of assault looks like.

“And this means when we come to make the argument for better equipment, better training, better policies, we don’t have the data to support it. So I already know from experience that we’re not doing that properly. But we are trying to change it round. It just involves buy-in from everyone.”

So Steve’s message to members would be, ‘anytime you’re assaulted, please report it’?

He concluded: “My message to supervisors would be, familiarise yourself with the new policy and procedure around colleagues who are assaulted. My message to colleagues who are assaulted is, make sure it’s recorded properly. Make sure the ‘injury on duty’ form is done. Make sure, where suitable, that someone is taking your statement.

“Having been assaulted at work, you’re a victim of crime yourself, and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to take the easy option because we’re so pushed for time and therefore relegate assaults on officers to second-degree crimes. It’s not fair on us, and ultimately it’s not fair on the public we serve because we rob ourselves of that data which we can then use to support improvements in other areas.”