'Prison sentences for attacking police should be the norm'

19 August 2024

The chair of Derbyshire Police Federation said prison sentences for attacking officers should ‘be the norm’.

Keith Chambers welcomed a pledge by the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to restore the public’s faith in the law following the violent disorder of the past two weeks.

Ms Cooper, writing in a newspaper column, said that the recent violent disorder showed a loss of respect for the police and that too many people ‘feel as though crime has no consequences’.

She said: “I am glad not just that we have seen hundreds of thugs facing the consequences of their actions in recent days, but that the deterrent effect of punishment has now been witnessed this weekend as the police, government and criminal justice system responded at speed. We said criminals would pay the price, and we meant it. That is the rule of law in practice.”

Keith said: “We are grateful for the messages of support from the vast majority of our communities during some difficult times.

Attacks on police

“But there is still a significant minority of people who think it is acceptable to attack officers just for the uniform they’re wearing.

“I am pleased to see the Home Secretary acknowledge the deterrent effect of punishment.

“The courts have been handing down tough sentences for those who have been involved in the disorder of the past two weeks and we need to see that continue for anyone convicted of assaulting a police officer.”

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics showed that there were 854 assaults on Derbyshire Police officers in the year to 31 March 2024. Of those, 233 resulted in injury.

In England and Wales, the figures showed there was a total of 45,907 attacks on officers in the year to 31 March 2024, with 11,479 resulting in an injury to an officer.

Branch chair Keith Chambers.

Keith said: “On average there are 16 attacks a week on police officers in Derbyshire, which is appalling.

“Police officers should not be attacked just for doing their jobs.

“We need to support them with, as the Home Secretary says, the deterrent effect of punishment.

“Prison sentences for those who do attack officers should be the norm to send out the message that it’s not acceptable.”

Ms Cooper, writing in the Telegraph, described the violence as ‘a disgraceful assault on the rule of law itself’.

“I am not prepared to tolerate the brazen abuse and contempt which a minority have felt able to show towards our men and women in uniform, or the disrespect for law and order that has been allowed to grow in recent years,” she said.

Restore respect

 “As well as punishing those responsible for the last fortnight’s violent disorder, we must take action to restore respect for the police, and respect for the law. From anti-social behaviour through to serious violence, too often people feel as though crime has no consequences, as charge rates have been allowed to fall and court delays have grown. That has to change.

“We will work with the police, rather than just blaming them from afar, to tackle problems and raise standards. And we won’t engage in the kind of shameful behaviour we have seen from some senior politicians and pundits who sought to undermine the legitimacy and authority of the police, just at the time they needed our full backing to restore order to the streets.

“When the police put on those uniforms, when they go out in the service of our communities, and when they uphold the high standards we expect of them, they deserve respect from every single one of us.”

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