Opposition day debate on Police safety

On the 2nd November 2016 an Opposition day debate was held on Police Officer safety. A worsening problem, an estimated 23,000 assaults on officers are recorded each year in England and Wales, with the national Police Force declining by 20,000 since 2010. Following calls for the government to implement statutory guidance on sentencing uniformly throughout the country, it is vital that efforts were needed to be made to ensure that police officer numbers and funding are not cut further.

In the West Midlands, the Police Federation said there have been steady increases in the number of assaults from 428 in 2012 to 611 last year, with 2016’s figure projected to rise even further. In the same timeframe the size of the Police Force has decreased by nearly 2,000 officers.

To curb the number of assaults with their current resources, the West Midlands Police Federation launched a partnership with the Force, the Superintendents’ Association, Unison and Unite which led to the launch of a 10-point pledge on assaults on police officers and police staff. The pledge describes how the Force will note and follow up on these assaults, whilst also improving the support the victims receive.

I voted in favour of the motion but the motion was lost: Ayes 207 to Noes: 288.