If You Don’t Want To Be Put In A Spit Guard, Don’t Spit at Police

THE message to anyone coming into police custody is clear – if you do not want to be placed in a spit guard, do not spit at police officers.

Essex Police Federation says that better understanding of spit guards will help to achieve a more balanced view of them.

Chairman Steve Taylor (pictured) was speaking after representatives from the Police Federation of England and Wales met human rights group Liberty to discuss their use.

PFEW Chairman John Apter and Operational Policing Lead Simon Kempton said their meeting with the group, which in the past has criticised the use of guards, had been very positive.

Steve said he was pleased the meeting had been fruitful: “I think it’s a valuable use of time. I’m encouraged that Liberty has come away with a more balanced view of spit guards.

“Fundamentally, if you do not want to be placed in a spit guard, do not spit at police officers, paramedics, or members of the public when the police are there, and it won’t happen. I think that’s a really strong argument.

“What the PFEW have done is what we carried out on a local level with our local stakeholders. We put the reasons behind why we want spit guards to those more concerned in society. In Essex, they were represented by some of the strategic advisory groups, made up of a host of different communities and elements within the community.”

The PFEW has offered Liberty the opportunity to attend a training session to see how carefully Spit Guards are used and to meet some of the officers who will be issued with them.

Simon explained: “We both listened. [It was] very constructive and very useful to have the first of several future meetings on spit guards and other issues.

“On the issue of spit guards we listened to the concerns of Liberty and were able to offer context and explanation around their use and the testing that’s gone into them.

“We reassured them about the levels of aftercare included in training.

“Both John and I gave examples of when we’ve been subjected to spitting and biting assaults to give context to why they’re necessary.

“Liberty raised concerns about their use with people who are suffering from mental health issues.

“Both John and I acknowledged that even more care is needed when a person is suffering from mental health issues, but that this is acknowledged in the training and must be balanced with the need to protect officers and the public.”

He added that the current alternatives, such as prone restraint, give rise to a heightened risk of positional asphyxia, and such a tactic is not allowed to be used as a substitute for spit guards. This in turn narrows the options for officers.

Simon concluded: “We have offered Liberty the opportunity to attend a training session to see how carefully Spit Guards are used and to meet some of the officers who will be issued with them.

“[It was] All in all, very worthwhile… Liberty acknowledged the difficulties that police work under and their support for police and policing generally.

“The PFEW Chairman and I are looking forward to working with them on other issues such as Body Worn Video.”