20 January 2025

Officers 'Would Rather Be Assaulted Than Use Force'

Some Dorset Police officers would rather be assaulted than protect themselves on duty because they are so fearful of the ramifications of using force, Dorset Police Federation has warned.

Chair James Dimmack said his members are under so much scrutiny that they are frightened to defend themselves against violent criminals.

He said: “There is increased scrutiny on every action that officers take. These actions are invariably made in high pressure, spontaneous situations and require instant decisions. These same decisions are then dissected with the benefit of hindsight from a controlled environment.”

Figures have revealed that an officer is assaulted every 10 minutes in the UK – that’s 150 a day.

James added: “Policing requires us to take unpopular actions. Force will only be used as a last resort, but sometimes it is inevitable. Officers are trained to use this power and need to back themselves and their decisions. So when they do this, officers need to be backed by the force.”

James was speaking after Nick Smart, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association, said police officers are becoming risk averse because they are so frightened that making genuine errors in stressful situations will cost them their careers. He told the Daily Telegraph that colleagues were losing confidence due to the immense pressure and scrutiny they are facing.

Mr Smart said the misconduct system should focus on rooting out corrupt and criminal officers rather than punishing those who made genuine errors in stressful situations.

He said: “What has happened is there is now a culture of risk aversion because nobody wants to gamble their career, liberty, mortgage and family over a decision, because in the current climate there is no faith in the system.

“Officers feel if they make a genuine mistake, they may get punished and if we want an ethical service, then we have got to create an environment where officers know that if they make a mistake, when they admit it, and where appropriate, they will get reflective practice.”