October 28, 2020 10.10 am This story is over 41 months old

Lincolnshire Police speak out as hundreds of officers assaulted per year

“An attack on the rule of law”
By Local Democracy Reporter

A new initiative to tackle and investigate crimes against police has been launched after new figures showed over 400 assaults happen to officers each year.

Kicking, spitting and biting are among the most frequent types of assault, with coughing and spitting during the COVID-19 pandemic a more recent incident.

A detective constable sustained a fractured skull in Grantham when a car driven by a man struck her, while other officers suffered whiplash when a suspect rammed a police vehicle.

There will now be a full care package to help officers throughout any recovery and subsequent charging of the incident, including compensation, counselling and medical support.

Assistant chief officer Andrew White said: “Any attack on a police officer is not simply an assault, it’s an attack on the rule of law.

“Assaults should never be accepted as simply ‘a part of the job, and while being a police officer is about sometimes putting yourself at risk of harm to keep the public safe, anyone who is assaulted while on duty can be assured of the full support of the force at every stage.

“We’re also improving how we investigate assaults, while also working closely with the CPS to press for an increased number of successful prosecutions.”