{"id":185065,"date":"2021-01-25T16:09:48","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T16:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=185065"},"modified":"2021-01-25T16:09:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T16:09:48","slug":"police-covenant-must-better-protect-assaulted-officers-with-tougher-sentencing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=185065","title":{"rendered":"Police Covenant must better protect assaulted officers with tougher sentencing"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE upcoming Police Covenant must ensure tough sentences are handed down for all levels of assaults on officers, South Yorkshire Police Federation is urging.<\/span><\/p>\n

The covenant was drawn up by the Home Office last year and after a consultation period last year should be on the statute books in the coming months.<\/span><\/p>\n

It promises to double the sentences currently available to judges and magistrates to hand down to people who attack emergency workers. It also aims to provide better protection for police drivers and special constables.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent wants those new powers to be applied for lower-level assaults and not just the more severe incidents.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe covenant is really important in many ways,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives our Special Constable colleagues the protection they need while they\u2019re volunteering and doing the same job as our regular colleagues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s right they get afforded the same protection if they\u2019re in a double-crewed car with a regular colleague and the worst happens that they get the appropriate legal cover, so that\u2019s very welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoubling on sentencing for assaults on emergency service workers, it\u2019s impossible not to welcome that. That is a great step, and it\u2019s great to have that for the more serious assaults, but let\u2019s deal and get people behind bars for the lower end assaults as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t have to be that an officer gets seriously injured for someone to go to prison for doing so. It\u2019s not acceptable,\u201d Steve said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, police drivers are held to the same legal standards as regular drivers meaning their experience and training cannot be used as mitigating circumstances in the eyes of the law. For years it\u2019s put them at risk of prosecution for just doing their jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe protection for emergency drivers is absolutely enormous because it is quite ridiculous that our officers are trained, very highly trained in some cases, to do what they do and then not get the protection of the law when they\u2019re doing their job,\u201d Steve said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe only have to look at our colleagues in the Met to see the way moped crime goes off. There\u2019s a massive risk to the public there, and sadly the only way it can be dealt with sometimes is by robust action by police officers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe deserve to be protected for taking that action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The covenant will change the record when it comes to helping officers too, Steve said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s welcome that the Government actually appears at least to be trying to help us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pleasing to see the tone change basically, compared to what we\u2019ve had for the previous decade. They do seem to be willing to support and actually to look at protecting officers properly, and so that has to be very welcome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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