"We must see courts hand down tougher tariffs to those who assault police officers"

18 August 2020

It won’t matter if sentences for those who assault officers are doubled if the courts don’t hand down the tougher tariffs, Essex Police Federation has warned.

Home Secretary Priti Patel, an Essex MP, has vowed to get tough on would-be assailants of police officers and emergency service workers.

She wants to introduce a minimum two-year sentence to send out a deterrent message, which would double the current 12-month limit set by 2018’s Protect the Protectors Bill.

However, Essex Police Federation said it would be a hollow gesture if the courts then fail to back up the legislation by not using their new powers.

“The sentencing’s always been there,” said Chair Laura Heggie.

“The thing that needs to be pushed is the enforcement of that sentencing. It doesn’t act as a deterrent, whether it’s one year or been doubled to two years if it’s not being enforced by the courts and the CPS.

“But we are happy to see that Priti Patel is paying it attention, that she’s giving it value and that she is looking to double the sentences, it’s vital so that officers understand that they are being looked after. It is all about protecting the protectors.”

On average three officers a day were assaulted in Essex from April 2019 to April 2020 – an unacceptably high level, says Laura.

“Assaults have increased during coronavirus times, especially around using the threat of catching COVID from suspects towards officers.

“In Essex alone, we had 1,181 assaults in the last year, which equates to 22 a month, that’s three a day. It’s not acceptable at all,” Laura said.

“Officers shouldn’t come to work to be assaulted, and it should be expected that on the occasions when that does happen that the courts system is there to support them and enforce the law.

“We just need to see them using it, and perhaps by sending more people to prison then the message will get out there, even if it just puts one person off assaulting a police officer.”