SOUTH Yorkshire Police Federation is backing calls for mandatory prison sentences to be handed down to anyone who assaults a police officer.<\/p>\n
New Police Crime and Commissioner Chief Katy Bourne recently went on record to call for \u201cno ifs, no buts\u201d custodial sentences for those who attack officers, a stance echoed by Federation Chairman Steve Kent.<\/p>\n
He said it is the only way to send out a message to would be assaulters.<\/p>\n
Steve explained: \u201cThere needs to be mandatory prison sentences for assaults on police. I would suggest six months mandatory for a common assault, which is obviously very minor but would send out a message.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be two years mandatory for the next one up, which is AOABH (Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm) and then eight years minimum for serious assaults.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing is, once that starts, if that word gets out, then people are going to realise and it\u2019s going to be in the back of their mind that if they assault that cop when they\u2019re just doing their duty, then they\u2019re going to be automatically going into prison.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been assaulted myself a couple of times and no one\u2019s ever gone to prison for assaulting me. It\u2019s something that needs to be changed and that\u2019s the way I think we need to change it. So, I totally agree with Katy Bourne\u2019s comments.\u201d<\/p>\n