FIGURES revealing that South Yorkshire officers are assaulted nearly \u2018every day\u2019 have not come as a surprise to South Yorkshire Police Federation.<\/p>\n
Statistics have revealed that there were 408 assaults on officers from April 2017 to March this year \u2013 up from 355 in 2015\/16.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Federation Chair Zuleika Payne said the figures may be alarming to some, but those in the organisation wouldn\u2019t be surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really emphasise the importance of progressing the Protect the Protectors campaign,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are obviously out there trying to keep the public safe, but we have to make sure our officers are protected while they are doing that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe figures are alarming and wholly unacceptable, but I can\u2019t say I am surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Superintendent Paul McCurry took to Twitter and said \u201cwhilst accepting of the facts, this is unacceptable and is nearly a daily occurrence\u201d.<\/p>\n
Zuleika thinks the only way to combat the rise in assaults is to reinforce a zero-tolerance stance and to ensure proper deterrents are in place.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cThe messaging has to be right, it has to be a zero tolerance stance and we need tougher sentences for the those who carry out these assaults on us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen sentences are lenient it sends out the wrong message, giving a sense that it\u2019s not taken seriously, that it\u2019s part and parcel of the job of being an officer, which it isn\u2019t and never should be.<\/p>\n
\u201cAssaults on officers and emergency service workers must be taken more seriously with convictions and sentences to match.\u201d<\/p>\n