Police officers victims of racial abuse in last year

TWO police officers a week suffer racial abuse in Avon and Somerset. Chief constable Andy Marsh said the force is reaching out to recruit from black and minority ethnic communities but they face additional challenges when they join.

He said the incidents were linked to the recent rise in attacks on officers - earlier this month 27 were assaulted in one weekend - and blamed frustration at the Covid lockdown and an increase in mental health crises.

Speaking on BBC Radio Bristol recently, Chief Constable Marsh said: “Last weekend one of our PCSOs was sitting in a police car and a man he hadn’t dealt with that day wrenched the door open and punched him eight times to the head, brutal injuries.

“He had to go home and explain to his children how he’d ended up like that.

“An even more significant phenomenon, which is linked – in the last 12 months we’ve had 126 racist abuse incidents against officers and staff, that’s two a week.

“Where visibly different black and minority ethnic communities are saying ‘I want to join the police, I’m stepping forward,’ when they actually join there are some significant additional challenges.”

He said that the number of ‘BME’ officers is up and the force is “supercharging” recruitment, adding: “We aren’t recruiting people to stay at the lowest level, we’ve promoted many BME sergeants and inspectors over the last two years and we’re developing the leaders of the future.

“My challenge to them is, who’s going to be the first black superintendent in Bristol?

“Who will be the first black chief constable? They could be joining

Who’s going to be the first black superintendent in Bristol? Who will be the first black chief constable? They could be joining today

today.”

Police and crime commissioner Sue Mountstevens said the force was “not in a great place” on its number of BME officers but was improving.

Explaining the increase in assaults on police officers, Chief

Constable Marsh said: “Something is happening in society that is leading to this increase.

“There’s more mental and crisis.

“The Covid pandemic has led to people becoming very frustrated, including with institutions and the ill health law we’re trying to enforce.

“That’s created additional friction they think they can take out on the police.”

Ms Mountstevens said the police had become the “first and last resort” when people are in mental health crisis.