New figures show assaults against our members continue to rise.
In the last financial year, 45,907 assaults against police officers were recorded by forces in England and Wales. This includes 1,132 against British Transport Police officers; an increase of 251 assaults (or 28%) on the previous year.
Around one in five assaults on our colleagues resulted in injury.
Mark Marshallsay, General Secretary of BTP Federation said: “These figures are concerning, even more so because they could be the tip of the iceberg. The report itself notes that the data is likely to be an underestimate of the total number of assaults in some forces, “as many officers view assaults as part of the job and do not raise a crime record”.
“Assaults are not part of the job, and we encourage colleagues to ensure every such incident is recorded.
“As a Force and a Federation, we have got to get our response to assaults right. We are still not notified soon enough (and sometimes not at all) when an officer is assaulted. It’s crucial staff associations can support colleagues when they need it most. We must also ensure Op Hampshire is being followed to the letter.
“We are in talks with the Force about both of these issues, but while we work to resolve them, please don’t hesitate to contact your local reps if you need support.”