POLICE officers are becoming \u201cthe punchbag for society\u2019s frustration\u201d, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said, as it emerged that almost a quarter of officers have suffered COVID-related.<\/p>\n
One in four respondents to the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW)\u2019s latest Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey said they had contracted COVID-19, and almost half of those believed they contracted the virus through \u201cwork-related activities\u201d.<\/p>\n
Almost one in three (32%) reported that a member of the public who was believed to carry the virus had purposely threatened to breathe or cough on them, while 24% said someone had actually done so.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent said: \u201cThese figures sadly highlight what we know and have been saying. There has been an unacceptable rise in assaults on officers since the pandemic began.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been concerned that officers are becoming the punchbag for society’s frustration and this in many ways proves it. Our officers are human as well and have families to go home to.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile others in the NHS are rightly treated as heroes, our police officers \u2013 who are at the frontline of this pandemic as well \u2013 are being spat at and assaulted.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo add insult to injury, the Government is still not giving us a timeline as to when our officers are to receive the vaccine. It\u2019s not good enough to ignore the people who society frequently relies on the most, and officers are angry and frustrated at these delays.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PFEW has been lobbying for police officers to be seen as a priority group for vaccination. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed key workers getting the COVID-19 vaccine from mid-February, after the top four most vulnerable groups. The Chief Executive of NHS England has said this is a \u201clegitimate discussion\u201d, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has so far declined to agree with him.<\/p>\n
Other findings from the survey suggested police officers had struggled with their workload and mental health over the past year, with 77% of respondents indicating that psychological difficulties had been caused, or made worse, by working within policing.<\/p>\n
Over half said they had been the victim of an unarmed physical attack over the previous 12 months, and 53% said they had found it difficult to carry out their duties because they were so fatigued.<\/p>\n