‘Unprecedented’ number of assaults on officers

ESSEX Police officers are being assaulted at an unprecedented rate, the force’s Federation has warned.

Last month 12 officers were assaulted in just one night at five different incidents, according to Chairman Steve Taylor.

Steven Kavanagh, Chief Constable, said at the time: “Appalling. Too many Essex Police officers were assaulted this weekend keeping the county safe. More needs to be done.”

And the Federation has vowed to keep up the pressure on MPs to pass the #ProtectTheProtectors Bill and properly fund the force so that it can equip police officers with all the equipment they need to stay safe.

The Bill passed the committee stage in Parliament this month and could be law as soon as Spring 2018.

Mr Taylor said: “The assaults make it very stark for us and we assure our members that we are doing all we can to protect them. We are keeping the pressure on the organisation for better training and equipment in the form of spit guards, Taser, body-worn cameras and so on.

“We’re keeping the pressure up on our local politicians to support some national incentives in the form of Protect the Protectors and making the assault of an emergency services worker an aggravated offence. The feedback that we’re getting is that that’s getting traction and the parliamentary working group from Leatherhead have praised Essex for the work that we’re doing at a local level.

“And we also take opportunities like this to publicise the fact that there are fewer of us doing more with less. The impact of even one of us being knocked over and being taken off the street, for even a couple of hours, is sorely felt across the force because the resources are such that we can’t absorb that anymore.”

The Federation, with the support of deputy chief constable BJ Harrington, have revamped force policy around officer assaults and the accompanying recording process.

Mr Taylor added: “We try and reach out to every assaulted officer, to make contact with them and explain what the Federation can do, underline what the force should be doing for them, and I have to say, following this change in policy, that is, by and large, being done on every occasion.

“And in some cases our group insurers can kick in and there could be potential payments to be made to those assaulted with a knife or officers who unfortunately spend a considerable amount of time in hospital. There are payments from the group insurance which, by and large, most officers aren’t aware of.”

“But this does not alter the fact that with fewer officers doing more work to keep our communities safe, it is in no way, shape or form acceptable for them to be assaulted in the execution of their duty.”