"Absolutely shocking": Police Federation reacts to daily attacks on South Yorkshire cops
“The level of violence is absolutely shocking”
The Police Federation has reacted to the shocking number of attacks police officers in South Yorkshire are being subjected to on a daily basis.
This week, Sabir Albakeeri was jailed after attacking two officers on the same day.
As Sabir Albakeeri’s offending was detailed at Sheffield Crown Court, a statement submitted by South Yorkshire’s Chief Constable Lauren Poultney revealed that 15 assaults are carried out on police staff every week in South Yorkshire - the equivalent of two every day, 60 per month, and over 730 every year.
Albakeeri’s assaults came after his father made an emergency call to Firshill Rise, Firshill and two female officers responded.
He headbutted an officer twice, striking her chest the second time.
After he was arrested he spat at a custody office in his cell.
Albakeeri, aged 40, was jailed for 16 months and three weeks, with Judge Rachael Harrison telling him: “You are a menace…this is deplorable behaviour you are either unwilling or unable to control.
“When under the influence, you have a complete disregard for authority and are very ready to use violence.”
Steve Kent, from the South Yorkshire Police Federation - which represents rank and file officers - described the treatment officers are currently experiencing in South Yorkshire as “shocking.”
“Assaults on officers at the moment are happening every single day. The level of violence is absolutely shocking as we have also seen in this case and recent cases,” he said.
“Officers aren’t robots, they come to work to keep the public safe and to do their best. They have families to go home to at the end of the day.
“I know of a large number of officers who are still receiving physical and psychological support after some horrendous attacks.”
Commenting further on the challenges faced by officers, Mr Kent added: “Sadly we see that the majority of attention given to policing is about the tiniest of minorities who do wrong and who are rightly dealt with accordingly.
“We also see misleading and inflammatory footage placed on social media which doesn’t always paint the full picture. This was the case with the appalling Manchester Airport incident and the more recent incident at Rawmarsh, where officers were injured, one of which required hospital treatment. Literally every day officers are getting attacked and this needs urgent action.
“I have in the past called on the courts to back up the recent legislation with regards to assaults on emergency service workers with a mandatory prison sentence for anyone who assaults a police officer or emergency service worker. I am also calling on all media outlets to please be more balanced about our police officers.
“Unlike any other service there seems to be an obsession with focussing on the tiny percentage of officers who do wrong rather than the vast overwhelming officers who sacrifice so much to keep the public safe...they are literally heroes day in and day out, yet they are tarnished and sometimes harshly judged before been given due process or the benefit of the doubt.
“That rightly doesn’t happen in the NHS or any other public sector organisation. Individual wrong doers are branded as “rotten apples” or “bad egg”. In policing it is constantly pushed as endemic. That also seems to give sections of the public confidence and a bizarre sense of having a right to assault officers. Urgent action across the board is needed.”