{"id":3465,"date":"2018-02-02T11:32:36","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T11:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=3465"},"modified":"2018-02-02T11:32:36","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T11:32:36","slug":"better-protection-for-officers-thanks-to-spit-guards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=3465","title":{"rendered":"Better protection for officers thanks to spit guards"},"content":{"rendered":"

SOUTH\u00a0Yorkshire\u2019s police officers will be afforded better protection thanks to spit guards.<\/p>\n

The lightweight guards, which are placed over suspects\u2019 head when they become aggressive to prevent spitting, were introduced for personal issue at force custody suites last month.<\/p>\n

They will then be issued to officers on public order patrols in policing districts as part of the phased roll-out, Zuleika Payne, Federation Vice Chair said.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cThis is a vital tenet of our #ProtectTheProtectors campaign. We want to be able to afford protection to frontline officers who are vulnerable to this type of incident. Ultimately the general public expect police officers to protect them, and this is how we protect the individuals who are trying to perform that very role. One has to be mindful of the fact that we\u2019re also protecting members of the public in some of these instances as well, especially where incidents of this nature take place in public places.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the likelihood of catching a disease from being spat at is low, the effects of being spat at for an officer can be long term, as they may need to undergo anti-viral treatment and have the uncertainty of infection.<\/p>\n

The guards have been met with controversy, but Zuleika said a lot of thought and planning had gone into their design. She added: \u201cIt is very lightweight, it serves a purpose as it protects both the police and the public alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPolice officers volunteer to take the office of constable. It is a dangerous occupation and one that is fraught with risk, and to that end the public need to be aware of what officers are exposed to.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut more importantly, when officers are assaulted or attacked, it should never be regarded as being part and parcel of the job. Officers understand there is risk associated with operational policing duties, but it is wholly unacceptable to find ourselves in a situation where assaults are so commonplace that they are considered to be just part of the job.\u201d<\/p>\n