Branch chair sickened by officer assault numbers
An average of almost two South Wales Police officers were assaulted every day in the past year, new figures have revealed.
South Wales Police Fedeartion chair Phil Walker described the data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as ‘sickening’.
The ONS figures show there were 720 assaults on South Wales Police officers in the year ending 31 March 2023. Of those, 226 resulted in an injury to an officer.
Across England and Wales there was a total of 40,330 attacks on officers, 11,022 of which resulted in an injury to an officer.
Tougher sentences
Now Phil is urging the courts to impose tougher sentences on offenders who attack officers.
And he echoed the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) call for the wider roll-out of Taser to all frontline officers should they wish to be equipped with it.
Phil said: “It’s sickening to see so many of our members being assaulted just for doing their job.
.png)
“An attack on a police officer is an attack on society, and it must never become something that’s seen as part of the job.
“The law was changed last year so that those who attack blue light workers and police officers can face two years in prison.
“It’s vital to send out the message that it’s not acceptable to attack officers, and to do that we need the backing of the criminal justice system.”
Tasers
Phil added: “PFEW supports the roll-out of Taser to those frontline officers who want to be equipped with it, and the more we’re seeing members attacked the more they need to be able to protect themselves.
“You see time and again that unarmed local officers are the first at a violent incident, and having access to Taser offers that protection for our members, enhances public safety and is a less lethal option than a firearm.”
READ MORE: Men's Health Week - free factsheet.