Crime down but officer assaults rise

22 June 2020

Police recorded crime across England and Wales has fallen by 18 per cent in the four weeks until 7 June this year when compared with the same period last year, according to provisional figures released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

However, assaults on emergency service workers have increased by 24 per cent.

Pete Musgrave, chair of Humberside Police Federation, said while a continued decrease in crime was to be welcomed, it was concerning that police officers and other emergency workers were increasingly coming under attack.

“An assault on a police officer or another emergency service colleagues is abhorrent at any time but during the coronavirus crisis it is particularly sickening,” says Pete, “We have officers who are going out on the front-line day in, day out, seeking to serve and protect the public while putting their own health and safety and that of their families at risk and yet there are people out there who think it’s OK to spit or cough at them or subject them to a physical attack.

“I am sure the rise in these attacks will at least be in part due to people weaponising this virus and spitting at or on police officers while claiming to have COVID-19 and then, of course, we will also be seeing figures coming through from incidents related to the protests in various cities in recent weeks.”

John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has also condemned the increase in attacks.

“The lockdown restrictions have prevented criminal activity, which is a good thing for the public. The slight increase shows that as the lockdown has lessened, the opportunities to commit crime has increased,” he explained.

“It is of serious concern that, while overall crime has dropped, assaults on emergency workers have increased by 24 per cent. I do not accept any excuses for this rise - any violence shown towards police officers or any emergency workers must be taken seriously by the criminal justice system and should send the message that this is completely unacceptable.”

The provisional figures published by the NPCC do show that crime may be starting to increase again.

The 18 per cent fall recorded most recently compares to a 28 per cent fall for the four weeks to 12 April and the 25 per cent fall for the four weeks to 10 May. This is put down to the effect of lockdown restrictions easing and more people being allowed out of their homes, creating more opportunities for criminals.

NPCC chair Martin Hewitt said: “The vast majority of the public have followed the rules in place to limit the spread of the virus, and as a result we have seen sustained reductions in crime over the course of the lockdown period. It is no surprise that as more people are able to move around freely, we will begin to see movement towards previous levels, however this is a gradual change. We are reassured to still be observing significant falls in crime overall.”