Police officer’s hair pulled out by teenage girl
THE extent of injuries to a Leicestershire police officer who had a clump of hair pulled out by a suspect has been revealed by the Police Federation.
Images of Pc Becky Radford’s injuries were released as figures showing the rising number of attacks on officers was revealed by the federation.
Between January and November last year 403 assaults were reported on staff and officers from the Leicestershire Force.
Previously, the federation said, some officers brushed off assaults as ‘part of the job’ and did not officially report them.
However, over the past year it has consistently urged its members to report all attacks, which could help to explain the increase.
Tiff Lynch, chairman of Leicestershire Police Federation, has said: “Of course, officers accept they work in a role that will see them dealing with people who are agitated, distressed or confused
“But police officers are not there to act as a punch bag for members of the public, and if someone strikes a police officer, spits at them, scratches them or assaults them in any way, they should expect a harsh sentence from the courts.”
The new assault statistics were released last Wednesday as Chief Constable Simon Cole revealed he intends to write personal statements to courts each time a suspect is tried for assaulting a member of his staff, whether an officer or a civilian.
Mr Cole hopes his statements will be taken into account by magistrates and judges when they sentence offenders.
He said his statements would spell out in detail how the individual officers had been affected by the physical and mental trauma of the assaults.
He will also explain how the force itself – which has lost approximately 500 officers in the past decade as a result of Government public spending cuts – is affected by temporarily losing officers to injury.
Mr Cole said: “Even one assault on our officers and staff is one too many but more than 400 assaults is concerning.
“It is totally unacceptable for people to assault colleagues going about their duties serving their communities, and helping to keep us all safe.
“As a force, we are working hard to protect our officers and staff.
“No-one should come to work and accept that being assaulted or abused is part of the job.
“When they are they should be seen as a victim of crime and should be offered the same service any member of the public would expect.
“As an employer, we need to do the right thing by our team and add this extra layer of support and ensure that the courts understand the impact this has on us, our workplace and the policing of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.”
The national Police Federation last year launched a campaign called Protect the Protectors, calling for better protection for police officers. It includes a call for tougher sentences for those who assault emergency service workers, more accurate data on police assaults and better access to equipment such as spit guards and body-worn video recorders.
Ms Lynch added: “I am really pleased to see the Chief Constable getting involved in this way.
“The Police Federation’s Protect the Protectors campaign has raised awareness of the growing number of assaults on police officers and other emergency service workers.
“New legislation should come into effect this year to ensure those who carry out these attacks are given tougher sentences, both as a punishment and a deterrent to others.
“But Mr Cole’s decision to submit these statements will ensure that the courts are better informed about the physical and mental effects these assaults have not just on police officers and police staff but also their families, their colleagues and the force itself.”
Leicestershire Police Federation and Unison, which represents civilian staff, agreed with a force last year a nine-point plan on assaults which sets out the way in which officers and staff should be supported if they are attacked at work.