Front-Line Officer Assaulted Every 20 Minutes

Grant Shapps MP has published a research report following a comprehensive new study into the alarming level of assaults on front-line Police Officers showing that in 2006 a British Police Officer was assaulted every 20 minutes

Key Report Findings:

· In 2006 a police officer was assaulted somewhere in Britain every 20 minutes.

· In the last 5 years a record 126,860 police officers have been assaulted on Britain’s streets.

· In 2006 alone, 25,368 police officers were assaulted. That is an average of 70 assaults on police every day.

· Last year one-in-six Policemen and Policewomen in England, Scotland & Wales were assaulted while on duty.

· Five out of every six Police Officers have been the victim of assaults in the line of duty since 2002.

Introduction:

The research behind this Police on the Beat report aimed to discover the true extent to which our police officers are exposed to risk whilst policing Britain. The outcome is that we now know for the first time that a Police Officer on Britain’s streets is assaulted every 20 minutes.

Having spent time joining police on the beat in his own Welwyn Hatfield constituency, MP Grant Shapps undertook this nationwide study in order to measure the level of violence that Policemen and Policewomen are now exposed to, simply carrying out their day to day work. It quickly became clear that both threats and actual physical assaults were far from confined to one part of the country.

Grant Shapps used Freedom of Information requests to all 51 Police Forces in England, Scotland and Wales and has received results from 98% of Forces, making this the most comprehensive insight ever into the risks our police are exposed to on the streets.

The report aimed to assess how many police officers have been assaulted over the last five years. The shocking truth is that five out of every six officers have been the victims of assault over the period.

Grant Shapps MP:

“The number of attacks on our Police Officers in the last five years reveals the hidden yet perilous reality of life on the front line. The truth is that yet another Government target, safety initiative or programme will do little to protect our frontline Police.

“It is only by rebuilding a sense of social responsibility that we can hope to tackle this truly deep-rooted problem. Preventing our Officers from being assaulted requires a change in attitude towards our Police. This is a process which starts at home and that means that backing the family and encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their actions must be at the heart of the Government’s response.”

Jan Berry, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales:

“These shocking results add weight to a survey we conducted last year of the 141,000 police officers throughout England and Wales and send a clear message to the Government and Chief Constables that police officers must be afforded the best possible protective equipment and training.
“Police officers are struggling to effectively and safely deliver a 24/7 emergency response to the public in the face of growing violence, increased assaults and dwindling numbers.

“A number of forces are failing to provide the minimum officer safety refresher training, further evidence our health & safety is not being taken seriously.

“By seeking to treat the police the same as Whitehall bureaucrats, the government is likely to see many more officers leave the service.”

Geoff Hyams, ex Met Detective Inspector and MD of Police Oracle, the UK’s leading police website:

“This report focuses the mind on an issue that needs urgent attention.

The changing structure of the police service in the UK is resulting in an inexorable decline in skills and experience. This makes officers more vulnerable to assault.

You cannot safely police an increasingly violent society, which has a decreasing respect for authority, with a shrinking, de-skilled police service. Both the police and public are set to suffer, and if not addressed quickly, this will be a situation very difficult to recover.”