POLICE officer assaults need to be accurately recorded \u2013 as well as the times police officers have to use force against the public, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Neil Bowles, Federation Chairman, said it was \u201cnot acceptable\u201d that police officers are assaulted on duty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a 94-page IPCC Use of Force report there was no mention of the 23,000 assaults on police officers in England and Wales over the past year, amounting to 63 a day.<\/p>\n
There were 35 mentions of the word \u201cassault\u201d in the report \u2013 not one referring to those suffered by police.<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles said: \u201cI\u2019ve been concerned about accuracy of [assault] figures in South Yorkshire for some time and in fact we have set up our own gold group to look at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone in business change management was actually writing a report, and that process has sort of stalled at the moment so I am looking to discuss how we actually proceed with it and what sort of policy is going to come out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the force needs to \u201cmake sure that both the numbering and recording is accurate, and the right amount of welfare and support are put into place for the individual assaulted.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that the public are informed about it and the fact that it\u2019s not acceptable to use violence against police officers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Independent Police Complaints Commissioner has recommended that \u201call police forces provide people who have had force used against them with information about how to give feedback about their experience\u201d.<\/p>\n
Recommendation 5 of the Independent Police Complaints Commission Police Use of Force report stated that \u201cWe recommend that all police forces provide people who have had force used against them with information about how to give feedback about their experience, including information about making a complaint.<\/p>\n
\u201cComplaints are a valuable source of information that can help to improve police practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles added: \u201cWe\u2019re there to enforce the law and some people aren\u2019t going to be compliant and there\u2019s legislation authorising police officers to use force. Officers need to be trained properly in how to use the minimum, appropriate, necessary force in the circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
He called for forces to back their officers when they use force in a legitimate way.<\/p>\n
\u201cSociety expects us to enforce the law, but we must do so proportionately and legitimately only where necessary,\u201d said Mr Bowles.<\/p>\n