COMMENT MARTIN HEWITT

Chair, National Police Chiefs Council

POLICING is a career with huge rewards. There’s enormous satisfaction in solving crime, seeing justice done and working within your community to improve people’s lives.

This is what motivates people to become police officers.

But we choose to put on the uniform knowing there are risks.

Knowing we may have to put ourselves in harm’s way to protect the public. Knowing there may be times we will have to run towards danger.

Our training, teamwork and public support gives us the confidence to face those risks.

The recent brutal attacks on officers and the tragic death of PC Andrew Harper remind us all that, even with the right training and equipment, police officers can be vulnerable to the most violent aggressors.

Levels of violence are an increasing concern across the country and attacks on our officers have gone up. That’s why chiefs are increasing the number of officers trained to use a Taser. Our officers accept, at times, they will have to deal with violent offenders. That’s part of the job. But we must never reach a point where it is acceptable for officers to be attacked, injured or worse. It is not. Attacks on police officers protecting the public have a corrosive effect across society. If an attack does happen, we must do everything to support that officer and their family, and bring the offender to justice. But prosecutors, judges and magistrates must also do everything within their power. Assaulting police officers undermines the rule of law and offenders must be seen to be held to account.