‘If we don’t improve confidence in policing, our officers are in danger’ says chair

7 November 2025

A decline in public trust and confidence in policing is ‘undoubtedly’ having an impact on the rise in officer assaults, says the chair of Suffolk Police Federation.

Darren Harris has condemned the ‘utterly unacceptable’ number of attacks on officers, as it is revealed that more than 13 emergency workers - including those in the police and hospital staff - were assaulted in just one week.

Not only do these shocking figures underline the brutal reality faced by frontline officers, but Darren believes regular assaults on officers are a ‘direct reflection’ of the lack of trust and confidence the public has in policing. 

He said: “First and foremost, my priority is always going to be our members - those hardworking officers who put themselves at risk for serving and protecting the public.

“So many are punched, kicked, spat at or bitten - it is disgraceful and it has to stop, enough is enough.

 

Suffolk Police Federation chair Darren Harris.

 

“I think we need to look at the wider picture, though. Why do people feel it’s OK to assault a police officer? It’s down to the lack of trust and confidence in policing, which is resulting in a sheer lack of respect for officers.”

Darren referred to the most recent ONS survey: ‘Perception and experience of police and criminal justice system, England and Wales’.

Statistics showed that, in the year ending March 2025, less than half (49 per cent) of respondents felt that their local police were doing a good or excellent job.

A decade ago, in 2015, this figure was 62 per cent.

Assaults on officers

In that time, assaults on officers across England and Wales have more than doubled, rising from approximately 23,000 in 2014-15 to just under 56,000 in 2024-25.

“I appreciate that, as a sector, policing has got better at recording assaults - this area is nowhere near perfect, but it’s considerably improved since 2015,” continued Darren.

He added: “But these figures act as a stark reminder of how much the job has changed over the last decade.

“So many of the public do not respect our officers anymore, and I would argue that as a result, some feel it is acceptable to assault officers in uniform - and these statistics demonstrate that.”

In Suffolk, 541 officers were assaulted between April 2024 and April 2025.

Policing by consent

Darren warned that rising assaults strike at the heart of policing by consent - the principle that gives officers their legitimacy.

“Policing in this country has always been based on consent - not fear,” he continued.

“When that consent begins to erode through a lack of confidence and respect, we risk losing something fundamental. 

“Every time an officer is attacked, it damages that relationship between police and public just a little bit more. If we don't improve confidence in policing, we are putting our officers in danger. They will be at risk of further assaults."

Darren is calling for serious work to be done in two main areas: improving public confidence in policing and handing out harsher sentences for those who attack police officers.

Consequences

“It’s time these offenders faced real consequences,” Darren continued. 

“We need the courts to send a clear message that assaulting a police officer will never be tolerated. Too often, officers are left with physical injuries, psychological trauma, and the sense that the system doesn’t take these attacks seriously enough.”

He added that every attack on an officer ripples far beyond the individual, affecting families, teams, and entire communities.

“Behind every statistic is a real person - a police officer who could be your neighbour, friend, or family member. They deserve to go home safe at the end of every shift,” said Darren, who drew attention to the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Copped Enough campaign.

Copped Enough

“The Federation’s Copped Enough aims to expose the current policing crisis, and a lack of confidence in policing and a rising number of assaults on officers are two key elements of that.

“We’ll continue to fight for stronger protection, better support, and zero tolerance of violence against our members.”

Darren echoed the words of Chief Superintendent Janine Wratten, County Policing Commander, who said the frequency of assaults in Suffolk was deeply concerning.

“Assaults on police officers are unfortunately a regular occurrence, which on average occur more than once a day in Suffolk.

“This is totally unacceptable. Police officers – along with all emergency responders – frequently run towards danger and put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.

Deeply concerning

"They should not then have to contend with people assaulting them in all manner of ways, which includes being spat at, bitten, kicked and punched.

“The sheer volume of assaults we are seeing is deeply concerning and we will not tolerate them. Those who assault police officers and other emergency workers can expect to be dealt with robustly and put before the courts to face the consequences of their actions.”

Darren spoke to Wayne Bavin on BBC Radio Suffolk this morning (Friday 7 November). Listen to his interview, which is around two hours, seven minutes into the show.

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