Call for all attacks on officers to be prosecuted

20 August 2024

The deputy chair of West Midlands Police Federation has voiced concerns attacks on officers are being treated differently by the criminal justice system depending on the situation.

Jase Dooley said he was concerned assaults on officers carrying out their regular duties were not pursued in the same way as attacks on officers during the recent riots.

Jase said that it should not be acceptable to attack police officers for doing their jobs. And he said that it was in the public interest to properly prosecute such incidents.

He said: “For years, we've seen an increase in assaults on officers in various ways.

“Officers who have been attacked during recent unrest across the country are being treated differently depending on the situation.

“I see the government taking positive steps to deal firmly with those involved in the violence.

“But officers who are injured during their regular duties, not related to riots, are being treated differently and suspects are getting away with injuring our staff.

Public interest

“Some cases are being dropped because the courts don’t see it as ‘in the public interest’ due to other ongoing cases. I strongly disagree – it is absolutely in the public interest.

“It seems like there’s a difference between being assaulted in regular situations versus during a riot,” he added.

Jase urged the Government to ‘reconsider the seriousness of assaulting an officer’.

“Our officers are mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters,” he said. “They deserve to be treated as such, and just because they’re police officers doesn’t mean they should be targets for the unruly few causing harm in our communities.

Head and shoulders photo of West Midlands Police Federation deputy chair Jase Dooley

Branch deputy chair Jase Dooley.

“I understand that many suspects in the recent riots were charged not only with assaulting officers but also with violent disorder and serious public offences.

“I do believe that in some cases, restorative justice might be more effective, especially for first-time offenders who have assaulted an officer.”

Jase is due to meet Transform Justice, a charity which seeks to create a better UK justice system, on Friday to discuss the issues.

Jase said that attacks on members can also have a lasting psychological impact as he praised the bravery of frontline officers during the riots.

Mental health

“It's important to note that these attacks aren't just physical,” he said. "Officers' mental health is also at risk.

“Many of the people involved in the disorder were throwing bricks, bottles, and even objects on fire at our officers.

“Some might argue that handling this is part of their job and, to some extent, I agree because they are trained for such scenarios.

“But imagine being in their position.

“With many officers being young and less experienced, facing an aggressive crowd intent on causing harm to them and others is extremely daunting – and in some cases, it could lead to permanent physical or mental injury.

“Our officers have shown bravery by putting themselves in dangerous situations many times, and it makes me proud.

“The country should be proud that they are on the front lines, restoring order.”