Nicky outlines impact of officer assaults

7 December 2021

The Welsh lead for the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has urged people to remember that officers are human beings after new figures revealed eight assaults a day were committed against emergency workers in Wales during the first half of this year.

Nicky Ryan spoke out after the latest data showed more than 1,360 such assaults were carried out between 1 January and 30 June, including kicking, slapping, head-butting and verbal abuse.

They ranged from common assault to serious pre-mediated attacks involving grievous bodily harm and at least 21 of the incidents involved a weapon.

Assaults on police officers accounted for two thirds (67 per cent) of the total number, averaging 152 victims every month in the six-month period in Wales.

Nicky told BBC Radio Wales: “Every kind of physical violence has been exhibited by some members of the public towards our members - that’s police officers and community support officers - and we regularly get called to incidents where other emergency services workers need our back-up and protection.

“What the public really needs to remember is that behind every uniform, behind every emergency services worker, is a mum, a dad, a brother, a sister, a wife, a husband - there is a human being there - and it is not right that my colleagues, or any other frontline worker, goes to work to be assaulted.”

Nicky said violent assaults could have a devastating effect on the mental health and wellbeing officers and left some unable to work. 

She said: “The psychological impact of these assaults cannot be underestimated or understated. Many of my colleagues who have been assaulted in the past never got back fully to operational duties. 

“The physical injury may heal but the mental injury never does - it always stays with you - and I also think what the public has to remember is that every time an officer is assaulted, that is one less officer to answer the next 999 call that comes in and it could be that person’s family making that 999 call.”

Nicky said some officers had decided to leave the police service in the aftermath of an assault.

She said: “We have people who are physically unable to continue and we also have people who just feel the job is not for them and that is a really sad state of affairs.

“Two thirds of attacks on emergency service workers are on police officers and it is just not right that anyone has to go to work expecting to be assaulted.”

Assaults on emergency service personnel soared during the coronavirus pandemic when there were at least 36 incidents where an emergency worker was deliberately coughed at.

Nicky said: “I think the pandemic was a very difficult time but police officers and the other emergency services were on the frontline throughout it all so for 20 months they were still out, still dealing with the calls and still answering the 999 calls.

“And while we accept that people were stressed and that people were under extreme pressure - we understand that - it is not an excuse to assault an emergency service worker.”

Almost half (47 per cent) of the assaults in the first six months of the year took place in South East Wales with Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend among the most prolific local authority areas.

Offenders aged between 26 and 35 accounted for the highest number of attacks (24 per cent) while a third of incidents involved people under the influence of alcohol.

The highest volume of assaults (281) was recorded in May as the hospitality industry re-opened in Wales after the second Covid-19 lockdown.

And Nicky said the Welsh Joint Emergency Service Group (JESG) was now relaunching its With Us Not Against Us campaign ahead of the Christmas period with data from previous years pointing towards a further surge in alcohol-fuelled attacks on police officers during the festive season.

She said: “We are anticipating a spike in assaults on frontline workers and we anticipate that it will be due to alcohol. 

“We want the public to go out and have a good time. The Welsh public had had 20 months of stress, of pressure, of lockdown but we would ask people to  drink responsibly, to get themselves home safely, to not fight with each other.

“And, if people are asking for our help, please don't fight with us. We are there to help you.”