Shock rise in attacks on police
Figures show number of officers assaulted has risen for two years in a row:
POLICE officers were attacked hundreds of times in Manchester last year.
An analysis of Home Office figures has revealed the parts of the country where police officers were most likely to get assaulted on the job.
There were 417 assaults on police constables in Manchester between June 2018 and the end of May last year.
That’s a higher rate than any other part of Greater Manchester, working out as 76 incidents for every 100,000 people living in the area.
Luckily only 24 per cent of the anti-police attacks resulted in an injury.
Manchester was followed by Salford (52 police constable assaults for every 100,000 people), Rochdale (40) and Tameside (39).
The figures – which do not include more serious assaults such as attempted murder – show the number of assaults on police officers in Greater Manchester has risen for the last two years in a row.
There were 739 in the 12 months to June 2017.
That had risen to 995 by June 2018 and 1,220 in the 12 months to June 2019.
John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “The rise in assaults on our officers is completely unacceptable and must never be seen as just part of the job. The recent surge of severe, high-profile attacks is a serious concern and the Federation will continue to push for increased protections for officers, including a wider roll-out of Taser.
“But Taser is just part of the solution; there must also be a stronger legal deterrent.
“My colleagues feel failed by the criminal justice system that should be there to support them when the thugs who attack them are let off with little more than a slap on the wrist.
“We welcome the government’s pledge to double the current maximum sentencing to 24 months – something we initially fought hard for through our Protect the Protectors campaign – and I will be discussing this with the Home Secretary when I meet with her in the coming weeks to ensure those who attack my colleagues are dealt with severely.”
The recent rise in anti-police attacks is not limited to Greater Manchester.
Across England and Wales, police forces have recorded a steep rise in assaults on police constables in the line of duty.
Home Office data shows that in the year to June 2019 there were 30,513 assaults (with or without injury) on officers – up from 27,237 in the previous 12 months and 18,220 in the year before that.
Some 10,363 attacks in the year to June 2019 caused an injury.
Across England and Wales, Stevanage was the worst place for attacks against police officers.
There were 152 per 100,000 people living there.
That was followed by Norwich (145 per 100,000 people), and Westminster (126 per 100,000 people).
The figures only include assaults recorded by police, meaning that the true numbers could be even higher.