PRIME Minister Theresa May\u2019s vow that life should mean life for the murder of police officers is little more than a soundbite, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Chairman Neil Bowles said the comment by the then-Home Secretary illustrated the Government\u2019s \u201cfailure to protect its own citizens\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cLife means Life for the murder of police officers \u2013 yet another soundbite from the worst Home Secretary to hold office.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would have thought this would be a pretty simple promise to keep, but it\u2019s just another failure of Government to protect the Police and so protect its own citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles\u2019 comments came as the service marked the 50th anniversary of the brutal killing of three officers who were killed in cold blood. Two of the three convicted killers have been released from jail.<\/p>\n
The families of Metropolitan Police officers DS Christopher Head, DC David Wombwell and PC Geoffrey Fox gathered for a memorial service at the site of the 1966 Braybrook Street killings earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The Braybrook Massacre in West London led to the formation of the Police Dependants\u2019 Trust (PDT) charity. Wreaths were laid by Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation; Gill Scott-Moore, PDT chief executive; and Met Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the ceremony earlier this month, Steve White, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: \u201cThree criminals opened fire on the unarmed officers, leaving their children fatherless and their wives widows. One died in prison, another was released 15 years ago and the third, who came out of jail in 2014, was free to take his driving test just months later. Meanwhile relatives of the fallen officers have been condemned to a life sentence without their loved ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd police officers are still losing their lives and being maimed on the streets. We\u2019ve got the law changed so that those convicted of murdering police officers will now be sentenced to life but now we say there should be harsher sentences for thugs who assault police officers instead of the punishment-lite that we see all too often.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr White added: \u201cThe latest Government figures show that there were 23,000 assaults on police officers last year. That\u2019s 63 a day and quite frankly, that\u2019s unacceptable. Assaults should not just be \u2018part of the job\u2019 and derisory sentences \u2013 which is what we have come to accept \u2013 are not deterrents.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Police Federation is mounting a campaign to seek more severe sentences for offenders who attack police and is in talks with the Home Office to try to change the sentencing guidelines.<\/p>\n