A senior police officer has spoken out about the impact of growing number of attacks on front line officers after an officer was hit over the head with a metal pole.
Officers were called to a report of a man swinging two metal poles in the Goose Gate area in the city centre.
They challenged the man who became aggressive and verbally threatened them.
The officers quickly gained control of the incident and arrested the man but during the struggle an officer suffered a head injury. He was treated in hospital for concussion and his welfare is being looked after by Nottinghamshire Police.
Reflecting on violence towards officers and fellow blue light workers, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Police officers and staff are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. When they are attacked they become victims just like any other, but victims who have been attacked while trying to protect the public from harm.
“They put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis in order to protect the vulnerable, keep communities safe, respond to calls and to prevent and detect crime.
“While it is clear the nature of policing requires members of the organisation to handle difficult and hostile situations, assaults and prejudicial abuse upon them are serious and unacceptable.
“It is never acceptable to assume assaults upon police officers and staff should be tolerated. It is not simply ‘part of the job’.
“On average there are 13 assaults against police officers and staff per week and the volume of incidents has being increasing in recent years.
“Not only do assaults on police staff and officers have a negative impact on the community but also internally on the organisation.
“On a personal basis, police colleagues suffer not just physical injuries, but also the psychological effects. Many find the return to front line duties, after being assaulted, especially challenging or traumatic.
“Each time an officer or member of staff is assaulted there are potential sickness absences. These absences acutely affect resourcing and the force’s ability to deliver front line policing which clearly affects the community as it limits the service that can be provided.
“They also place additional strain on other members of the organisation due to the transfer of work to others, which can have significant impact on the wellbeing of police officers and staff.
“On a wider scale, morale is significantly impacted when officers and staff see their friends and colleagues being assaulted and abused which, in turn, can damage the force’s ability to recruit new people into the organisation.”
ACC Cooper added that the force works hard to protect officers from harm, through training and protective equipment, and also provides first class support for any officers or staff who have the misfortune of being assaulted.
He added: “The public call upon the police to help them when they are most in need. We have a duty to protect the public but we are all too often prevented from doing so due to violent individuals who choose to attack those who are there to help them.
“We have repeatedly stressed that any assault on emergency workers – physical or verbal – will be treated as a crime and dealt with accordingly.
“Assaults on emergency workers are treated very seriously by the courts and I can assure anyone who assaults our officers, or any other emergency workers, that we will put them in front of magistrates as soon as possible.”
A 59-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray, assault by beating of an emergency worker, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of cannabis following the incident which happened at around 1am on Thursday (4 November 2021).
