88% of our cops attacked

Call for action on rising blight

POLICE chiefs have been urged to take “swift action” after it emerged 88% of officers have suffered assaults during their careers.

Since 2008, 92 have died on duty and 39% reported attacks in the past year, the National Police Chiefs’ Council found.

Of 40,000 surveyed,

85% said more frontline officers should get Tasers, while 61% want all police to have them.

A third were not happy with their safety training.

And attacks on police are on the rise – fuelled in recent months by Covid19-related coughing and spitting incidents, plus protests and illegal raves.

Data from all 43 forces in England and Wales showed a 24% rise in attacks in the four weeks to June 7 against the same period in 2019. And in 2019 there were 328 assaults per 1,000 – up from 284 the previous year. Che Donald, vice-chair of the Police Federation of

England and Wales, said he wants the report to “make a real difference”.

The review was commissioned by NPCC head Martin Hewitt last autumn after a spate of serious attacks.

It found that of the 92 officers lost on duty between 2008 and 2019, 15 died as a direct result of a criminal act.

A national curriculum and contact time with safety trainers will now be introduced.

Mr Donald said: “Chief officers must now take swift action.

“The Federation is appalled by the atrocious violence colleagues have faced recently. That’s why we welcomed this review and want to see its findings make a real difference.” Meanwhile, two in five officers killed between 2008 and 2019 died on their way to or from work, sparking research on potential links between shift work and road accidents.

We are appalled by the violence colleagues have faced recently

CHE DONALD OF POLICE FED OF ENGLAND & WALES