\u2018DESPICABLE\u2019 recent assaults on officers \u2013 in which they have been spat at and coughed on \u2013 need to be met with the full force of the law, Essex Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Disgusting incidents have occurred across the country \u2013 which has led the Crown Prosecution Service to warn perpetrators that these assaults will be punished in the courts.<\/p>\n
Spitting at officers should not be tolerated at any time, said Essex Police Federation Chairman Steve Taylor, but he said it is particularly galling at the moment given the dangers of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cPeople who spit on officers are despicable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really personal method of attack, and that\u2019s what it is; an attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a criminal offence and those that are intent on acting that way towards officers or checkout assistants or paramedics, whatever the scenario, if you\u2019re stupid enough to think it\u2019s acceptable enough to spit at people then you must expect the full weight of the law to follow that up.\u201d<\/p>\n
That should mean jail time, Steve said.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI would hope it means people should spend some time in front of a magistrate, explaining what they\u2019ve done, where the option of you spending some time in a prison cell needs to be very real.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s despicable, particularly in the current climate with the genuine public health concerns around coronavirus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat has to be an aggravating factor, and I would hope the bench take that aggravating factor into mind when deciding a sanction.\u201d<\/p>\n
The disgusting assault prompted PFEW Chair John Apter to write to the Home Secretary to demand urgent legislation to enforce social distancing to help protect officers from contracting the disease from the public.<\/p>\n
That legislation is something Steve wants to see introduced urgently.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWhen we first advanced the Protect the Protectors legislation we were lobbying for tougher sanctions for those that spat on officers anyway, so I\u2019d welcome John\u2019s efforts to re-energise that drive and to put more weight behind the deterrent element of the legislation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever John can achieve through the Home Secretary, officers in Essex would certainly appreciate it. I think all members of the community would be appreciative of such steps if it means people are deterred from acting so heinously as to spit at another person. It\u2019s despicable.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"