Coughing and spitting assaults on officers rise as pandemic continues

22 February 2021

Essex Police Officers are still being spat and coughed on as they try and protect the public during the pandemic.

Four officers were spat at recently and were put under additional stress over the uncertainty of the risks to them around self-isolate, Essex Police Federation said.

The despicable act and other assaults on officers and emergency service workers have emerged as the most common COVID-19 related crime during the lockdowns, new stats show.

Officers across England and Wales have faced nearly 500 incidents of being spat at and coughed on with many protagonists claiming they have the deadly disease.

It’s left officers terrified of picking up the virus and bringing it back to infect their families and loved ones.

The national picture is mirrored in Essex, Federation Chair Laura Heggie said.

“Just this weekend we have four officers who were spat at several times which caused big issues.

“The male involved was saying he had COVID and there were some real knock-on effects from that.

“One of the officers lives with their parents, who are extremely vulnerable.

“So, alternative accommodation had to be considered which although protecting their parents would isolate them completely, things like that.

“Another officer, who was involved in the same incident was isolating from the rest of their family at home, because they’re worried that they might pass it on.

“When the incident happened, we didn’t know if the person arrested was COVID-19 positive and we understand since thankfully that they’re not.”

The incident has highlighted the very real threat officers face from the disgusting act every day on the front line.

“It’s a dangerous threat and it’s the knock-on effect, the consequences that threat has to all officers,” Laura said.

“It’s not even just the officers that are involved; other colleagues were nervous around them even though the person who spat wasn’t positive because how sure can we be that they haven’t caught anything?”

Stricter sentences have been made available to magistrates and judges to deal with the issue, something which Laura hopes will remain in place post pandemic.

“We are seeing sentencing come in, but I am concerned that as time is going on, that might start to drop off, as people start to become more lenient.

“But it’s there at the moment, and it’s been relatively good in Essex.”