Police minister backs Fed campaigns

19 October 2020

Humberside Police Federation chair Pete Musgrave says it is essential police officers are backed by the criminal justice system when they come under attack at work.

Pete says the courts must use the sentencing powers at their disposal to send out the message that assaults on officers are unacceptable. He was speaking after policing minister Kit Malthouse assured Federation reps that custodial sentences for those who attack officers will be doubled.

Mr Malthouse told them during an online meeting that the Government would see through its promise and monitor the sentences that are handed out.

Pete said: “There has been a rise in the numbers of attacks on officers, including the appalling use of Covid-19 as a weapon with suspects spitting on officers and claiming to have symptoms.

“This is unacceptable, and we have to have the whole criminal justice system supporting officers to send out that message.

“We need offenders who are brought to justice to face the maximum possible sentences because this can’t be allowed to continue.

“We need to give our members the support and protection they need to do their job, so it’s welcome to hear the minister’s assurance on this.” Mr Malthouse, who was questioned by Fed reps on a range of issues, listed his top three priorities as getting crime down, recruiting 20,000 new officers and ensuring the police family is “happy, safe and well-motivated”.

On the officer uplift, he said: “We’ve already recruited 4,000 and I’m confident we'll hit 6,000 before Christmas.”

Pete explained: “It’s pleasing to hear the recruitment of new officers is three months ahead of schedule, but we need to find a way to add experience to the mix to try to help replace the experience we lost over the last decade of austerity measures and budget cuts.”

Mr Malthouse praised police officers for the relations they have built with communities which paid “enormous dividends” during the pandemic.

And he reiterated the Government's support for introducing a Police Covenant and police driver protections “as soon as possible”.

He also supported the idea of investigations into police officers by the Independent Office for Police Conduct should be expedited and more geared towards learning than punishment. Pete said: “A Police Covenant, protections for police drivers and the speeding up of investigations into officers are all issues the Federation has been campaigning on.

“We know they’re issues that matter to our members, so it’s most welcome to hear the minister’s support for them. We’ll continue to press the case for them to ensure they come into being,” Pete added.

Plans for the Police Covenant and the legal protections for police drivers are included in the Police Powers and Protections Bill which is due before Parliament later this year or early in the New Year.