An average of 16 officers are assaulted every week in South Yorkshire, new statistics have shown, and around 110 attacks in England and Wales every single day.<\/p>\n
The latest figures showing just over 40,000 police assaults last year are \u201cworrying but not surprising\u201d, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
There were 831 assaults on south Yorkshire officers in the year to 31 March, and Federation Chair Steve Kent praised the force for its response.<\/p>\n
He said the force is committed to Operation Hampshire, the nationwide strategy to help forces understand, support and seek justice for all types of assault. Charge rates of assaults are very high at South Yorkshire Police and the force takes attacks \u201cvery seriously\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe issue and the frustration comes with the courts. The force is working with the courts via Op Hampshire to try and get better understanding with this and try and get the message across.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s quite simple. The only way we\u2019re going to deal with this is with an injury on any officer, or emergency worker, there should be a mandatory prison sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying they should go to prison for 10 years, because that\u2019s disproportionate. But we need a mandatory prison sentence so people know, very clearly, that if they pull their hand back to punch or headbutt an officer or anything like that, they\u2019re going to prison.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen it won\u2019t take long for the people who are motivated to do that, to stop doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n