Spit at an officer and you will wear guard
LEICESTERSHIRE’S chief constable has unveiled the fine mesh masks which will be placed over the faces of people who spit at or try to bite his officers.
Simon Cole has posted on social media a photograph of him wearing one of the “spit guards”.
Leicestershire Police officers are now being trained in their use, Mr Cole said.
Saliva, especially if it contains blood, can carry a number of infectious diseases, including hepatitis.
Officers who have been spat at have had to undergo months of tests to determine whether they have been infected.
Mr Cole has said previously: “We can’t carry on with officers and staff being spat at.
“It’s an unpleasant thing to do, anyway, but in some cases it has potentially some medical conse- quences associated with it.”
Leicestershire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, called for the guards to be made available to its members last year.
A survey it conducted of local officers found 96 per cent wanted access to them and that one in four had been spat at while on duty.
One officer said: “Spitting at someone is disgusting and most police officers will tell you they would rather be punched than spat at.”
Tiff Lynch, chairman of Leicestershire Police Federation, said: “We are aware that some people are opposed to officers using spit guards, but for me it’s really quite simple – if you don’t want to wear a spit or bite guard do not attempt to spit at or bite a police officer.”
Ms Lynch said the federation had worked closely with chief officers to choose a design which differs from that used in some forces.
Unlike those in use in other areas, the mask to be used in Leicestershire does not cover the whole head.
The Police Federation’s ongoing Protect the Protectors campaign is pushing for tougher sentences for those who assault officers.
Figures from January to the end of November 2017 show the force recorded 403 assaults of all types on its officers and staff.
In the previous year the total was 243.