Page 4 - BedFed Dec2018 Flipbook

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Assaults act: ‘a welcome
new weapon in the fight
against attacks on officers’
Anew law to impose tougher sentences on those who attack police officers and other emergency service workers has been welcomed by Bedfordshire Police Federation chair Jim Mallen.
Jim says the new Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, which came into force on Tuesday 13 November, was a significant result in the Federation’s high-profile national Protect the Protectors campaign.
It creates a new aggravated offence of an assault against a member of the emergency services and doubles the maximum sentence for these acts from six to 12 months.
“This is a welcome new weapon in the fight against assaults on emergency services,” he said. “Nobody should be assaulted for the job that they do or for the uniform that they wear. Any attack on an emergency worker is totally unacceptable and is an attack on us as a society.
“This new law makes clear it won’t be tolerated. It makes clear that those who cross that line will be dealt with robustly.”
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has also spoken out in support of the act. He said: “At a time when our brave police officers and staff are working tirelessly to crack down on violence, I find it despicable that some people think it is acceptable to assault emergency service workers.
“This act ensures judges can come down hard on these cowardly individuals and makes clear that we are committed to protecting those who protect us.”
Last year, there were 26,000 assaults on police officers and more than 17,000 against
assault an emergency worker. We need to make it absolutely clear that it is not, and there must be consequences for those who commit such crimes.”
John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said he hoped the new legislation will be backed up by prosecutors and the courts to send out the message that such attacks will not be tolerated.
He said: “Although the legislation is now in place it means nothing unless it used by the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, so I call them to make full use of these new powers.
“Whilst we acknowledge that we did not get everything we wanted from this new Act – we feel sentences are still not as strong as they need to be – this is a significant step forward in the right direction and we will continue to make the case for a stronger deterrent, for a wider roll-out of Taser, body-worn video and spit
“NHS staff. Assaults on prison officers are up some areas of society that it is acceptable to NOBODY SHOULD BE ASSAULTED FOR THE JOB THAT THEY DO OR FOR THE UNIFORM THAT THEY WEAR. ANY ATTACK ON AN EMERGENCY WORKER IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND IS AN ATTACK ON US AS A SOCIETY. THIS NEW LAW MAKES CLEAR IT WON’T BE TOLERATED. IT MAKES CLEAR THAT THOSE WHO
CROSS THAT LINE WILL BE DEALT WITH ROBUSTLY.
Labour MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant.
70 per cent and there has been an 18 per cent increase in attacks on firefighters.
Jim explained: “The figures suggest that there is a culture which has developed in