Tougher sentences needed for drivers who target police

TOUGHER sentences must be handed down to people who use their cars as weapons and drive at officers, Essex Police Federation has said. Instances in the county are on the increase, according to Chairman Steve Taylor, as officers report their vehicles being rammed by offenders.

Three officers were injured after their car was rammed in Dagenham. This month a Southend man was sentenced to 16 months in jail after being convicted of dangerous driving.

He was disqualified from driving for five years, with an additional eight months as the vehicle was deemed to have been used as a potential weapon.

The 39-year-old was driving a silver BMW, when he rammed three vehicles and a police car which had attempted to stop him. Two officers were forced to dive out of the way, as the BMW collided with the vehicles and sped off.

Steve said: “Officers had to dive out of the way, members of the public were involved, people were put at risk – and the bench sent him to prison. So we welcome a custodial sentence for such an offence.

“We are seeing these cases more and more frequently, and something has got to change.”

PC Dean Young from Southend police station, who led the investigation, said: “This was a very serious matter. The defendant showed no regard for the safety of the public who were innocently going about their daily lives, nor for police officers trying to perform their lawful duties.”

Cases such as these should inform the #ProtectTheProtectors campaign and the Emergency Service Workers Bill – which will go to the House of Commons Report stage on 27 April, Steve added.

He said: “We would hope that when such offenders are caught and prosecuted that, if found guilty, the full of extent of the law is used against them to retrospectively look after people.”