‘Terrifying’: assaults on police almost doubled
WELLINGTON: The number of assaults on New Zealand’s police officers has almost doubled, amid rising violent crime rates and protests on Parliament’s lawn.
Officers reported more than 1000 attacks during 2022, up from 631 the previous year, leading Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to say any violence towards police was ‘‘unacceptable’’.
One officer with years of experience on the frontline, speaking on the condition of anonymity, talked about the confronting reality of the job.
‘‘I’ve been shot, stabbed, beaten, kicked . . . you name it, they’ve done it to me,’’ they said.
‘‘Those stats are terrifying, that’s horrific.’’
It comes as the Police Association warned the real numbers of assaults were likely much higher, and staff could be tempted by jobs overseas where officers were armed.
‘‘Police are seen as fair game and assaulted on a daily basis . . . It’s a disgrace,’’ vicepresident Paul Ormerod said.
The Government maintained it ‘‘takes the safety of frontline officers seriously’’, heralding its nationwide rollout of the police tactical response model to train and equip staff.
Answers to written parliamentary questions by Act New Zealand show between October 2017 to March 2023 there were 11,300 offences relating to an assault on police.
Meanwhile, 1121 assaults were selfreported by staff in the 2022 calendar year, with 32 ending up in hospital — covering the period in which protesters unlawfully occupied Parliament’s lawn.
That compared with 631 reported assaults in 2021, and 577 in 2020.
The National Party and Act New Zealand said the figures were ‘‘atrocious’’ and reflected what they claimed was a ‘‘general lawlessness in the community’’.
Act police spokesman Chris Baillie said the numbers showed ‘‘a decline in respect’’, while National Party counterpart Mark Mitchell claimed ‘‘the Government’s been warned for the last five years about its lack of focus on public safety’’.
Assaults on police are reported in two ways — either by offence charges brought against alleged offenders, or staff reporting harm themselves.
Incidents reported by staff are categorised as assault if a person has hit, struck, bitten or spat at an officer, or if a vehicle, object or substance has been projected towards them.
The officer spoken to anonymously said a ‘‘lack of consequence’’ was the biggest issue, and said many officers ‘‘brush off a spitting, gouging or punch’’.
‘‘Because of the paperwork involved, health and safety, nearmiss s . . . — do you charge someone with that? No. The courts won’t do anything,’’ they said.
‘‘In terms of using vehicles or firearms towards police . . . it’s exacerbated tenfold.’’
Deputy police commissioner Tania Kura said the increase in assaults on police ‘‘aligns with the growth of the organisation, including additional frontline staff’’.
‘‘We note a particular spike in 2022 which can be attributed in part to the policing of the Parliament occupation,’’ she said.
In a written statement, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said ‘‘officers put themselves in harm’s way every day’’ to protect communities.
‘‘That’s why earlier this year we announced an investment in the nationwide rollout of the tactical response model, which is a safety system designed to ensure the frontline is trained, equipped and supported to keep themselves and communities safer,’’ she said.
Asked whether police officers were becoming more at risk of assaults on the job, Mr Hipkins said they should not have to ‘‘put up with’’ any of it.
‘‘Police do a really difficult job . . . any violence towards [them] is unacceptable,’’ he said yesterday.
‘‘We don’t, as a government, make decisions about who to charge or who to prosecute, but where the police do that, of course, they have our full support.’’
Mr Ormerod said there’s ‘‘a lot more going on’’ than the incidents that were being reported.
‘‘We can’t continue to ignore the dangerous environment officers work in . . . It’s a sad reflection on society,’’ he said. —
Caitlyn Read (9), of Dunedin, plays badminton during a ‘‘trybrary’’ installation at Chingford Park in North East Valley yesterday. Valley Project team member Nathan Laurie, who coorganised the event, said Otago Museum and Sport Otago supported yesterday’s trybrary when people of all ages could come to the park and borrow equipment to use in the park. Yesterday’s event was aimed at getting people ‘‘switched on’’ to the concept. About 15 people came to the park between 3.30pm and 4.30pm, he said.