Attacks on police get more ugly
Police officers have been subjected to a series of brutal assaults this summer, and Police Association president Chris Cahill says the seriousness of such attacks is increasing.
Where criminals in the past considered policeman off-limits, younger generations of offenders saw them as fair game, he said.
In one of the summer’s worst attacks, a road policing officer was hit by a vehicle after laying road spikes to stop it. The officer was thrown about five metres into the air, landing in a drain.
He was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and suffered complications, including infection and a pulmonary embolism, according to the Police Association magazine
In another case, an officer on his last shift before retirement was bashed by a prisoner in courtroom cells in December, suffering a broken eye socket and a broken tooth after being kicked in the head.
On Wednesday, his alleged attacker appeared in the Hastings District Court charged with obstructing a police officer in the course of his duty, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and injuring with intent.
Also this summer, a female officer trying to restrain another prisoner had a clump of hair ripped out, and another officer suffered serious injuries to his upper arm and thumb after being bitten with such force it broke the skin, causing bleeding and a visible ring of teeth marks.
When the officer attempted to dislodge the biter using his other hand, the offender latched on to his thumb with his teeth. He needed hospital treatment and a tetanus shot.
Two other officers were checked for whiplash after their patrol vehicle was rammed from behind and written off.
Among the raft of assaultrelated injuries was a fractured thumb and torn ligaments, a swollen face and mouth from being punched in the head, a broken nose and being hit in the thigh with a machete.
Cahill acknowledged that assaults on police were declining overall, but said the severity was going up. All attacks were disgusting and reflected the dangers faced by officers.
The punishment for assaulting a police officer was materially different from assaulting a civilian, he said.
‘‘It’s something we’ve canvassed before – should there be more serious sentences for assaulting officers? Some Australian states, for instance, say if you assault a police officer you will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
‘‘I’m not saying we have to go that far in New Zealand, but we think a judge should take it as an aggravating factor in considering the sentences available.’’
Cahill said most judges did just that, but the relevance placed upon a victim being an officer varied across the country.
‘‘Sometimes it’s even just the message the judge gives in sentencing that’s important – that they don’t treat attacks on police officers as just another assault,’’ he said.
Personal protection for police had improved over the years, due largely to new tools such as pepper sprays, Tasers and stab-proof body armour.
Those may have played a part in an escalation of violent assaults on police, Cahill said.
‘‘When they don’t work, or they are not appropriate to be used for some reason, the escalation seems to be greater . . . If a Taser doesn’t work, for example, chances are there’s some significant issues with that person, so the interactions with them will be of a higher danger level.’’
Police statistics for the year to June 2017 showed the third lowest number of assaults on police in the past decade – more than 30 per cent lower than the peak in 2008-09.
There had also been a reduction in the proportion of Crimes Act assaults on police, which are typically more serious.