#ProtectTheProtectors – police must not be society’s punchbags

POLICE officers are becoming society’s punchbags, the Chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation has told the Police Federation Annual Conference.

Leading a session on the ongoing #ProtectTheProtectors campaign, Nick Smart (pictured) said there must be a deterrent to stop people assaulting officers.

Having asked delegates to raise their hand if they had been assaulted on duty, he said: “Our officers are becoming society’s punchbags. There is no deterrent. If there is no deterrent, how are people going to change their behaviour?

“We’ve got to have a deterrent or people are not going to stop what they are doing.

“The vast majority of MPs believe officers should be protected. We have drafted legislation for the Home Office on police assaults – it’s ready to go.”

Nick was joined at conference by Labour’s Holly Lynch, who has helped to draft the proposed legislation on sentencing changes.

She told the conference: “To assault a police officer shows complete disregard for law and order.

“We [MPs] make the laws and we ask you to uphold those laws. If you are not safe, our communities are not safe.”

Delegates also heard from a number of officers who had been assaulted on duty, some of whom were calling for a service-wide introduction of spit guards after being spat at.

One officer said: “I had spit dripping off my face. It was disgusting.”

Delegates also heard one officer recall being spat at 24 times in a single day.