Assaulted officers undeterred by 'vicious' attack
26 October 2023
West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke says officers who were assaulted with a bike in Birmingham are undeterred by the attack and committed to serving the community.
A total of four police officers were attacked in Villa Road, Lozells on Tuesday afternoon as they attempted to use dispersal order powers in response to recent concerns over anti-social behaviour in the area.
Some of the officers were punched and bitten, while a bike was also thrown at them.
Rich visited the officers at Handsworth Police station today to offer them support.
He said: “We’re trying to look after them and the senior officers have been very supportive.
“They’re back at work, albeit in the office, and they’re itching to get back out.
“They’re undeterred. They’re a very committed team of neighbourhood officers and I think it’s quite apparent that the community is on their side.”
Three of the officers were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries, which included a dislocated thumb, bites which broke the skin, and cuts and bruises.
Rich said: “Our colleagues have been doing their job to make sure members of the public can go about their law-abiding business, and they’ve been attacked quite viciously in the process.
“It’s depressing that day after day we’re coming against the same sort of issues.”
Rich said that attacks on police officers and emergency workers should result in stiffer sentences to deter other assaults.
He said: “The elevated levels of violence towards police officers that we’ve seen over the past few years continues.
“Despite the fact they’ve toughened the law to make the sentences stronger on the statute book we’re not seeing that translated into actual reality.
“Individuals need to be punished, that’s the justice element, but there needs to also be a deterrent and there isn’t.
“The message needs to be sent out that assaulting a police officer is not acceptable, because they’re simply not being punished.
“It’s a very depressing theme that just carries on.”
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