Spit guards will combat these ‘despicable’ assaults

27 April 2018

SPIT guards will be rolled out soon to all frontline Essex Police officers after years of campaigning by Essex Police Federation.

“Every officer will have access to them once they’ve received the right training and when they’re deployed in a frontline capacity,” said Essex Police Federation Chairman Steve Taylor.

“It’s a little change but it’s an important one for colleagues in Essex.”

He added: “The effects of someone spitting on you can be devastating.

“It can mean months of medication, officers are left feeling dirty and unclean and it can lead them to not wanting to have contact with their families for fear of passing something on.

“So, it’s great news that spit guards are being introduced and deployed on the streets of Essex to combat this and I’m very pleased our approach to get them issued, which was methodical and professional, was successful.”

Spitting at a police officer, Steve said, is a thoroughly despicable assault.

The news comes just as the Police Federation of England and Wales has launched videos highlighting some of the horrific assaults officers and other emergency staff have to endure whilst on shift.

The assaults documented by its Protect the Protector campaign include first hand accounts of officers being bitten and spat at, while others talk about being attacked with weapons and being kicked and pushed to the ground.

“We had an officer just recently who had his fingers broken while on duty,” Steve added.

“And just in the last few weeks we’ve had a number of officers who have been bitten and spat out by suspects who potentially had HIV.

“That was two officers on the same shift in two separate incidents,” he added.

“They had to take preventative medication because the suggestion was that the person biting and spitting had a contagious disease.”

The issues surrounding assaults on police and emergency staff are being examined by a new Private Members Bill currently going through Parliament.

The Assaults on Emergency Services (Offences) Bill aims to make it an ‘aggravating factor’ to assault an emergency services worker.

Steve says the bill, plus the launch of the PFEW videos will help keep the problem in the spotlight.

“We need to keep up the pressure on our local politicians, so they can add their weight to some of the national work that’s being done with regards to legislation change and getting better support from the Criminal Justice System and from parliament to look after officers,” Steve added.

“In these increasingly lean times, the most important asset the police have is its officers – we must do all we can to make sure they’re getting the very best protection through ensuring they have the right equipment, and that the right legislation and the law is in place to give them that protection.”