Safety review confirms need for better protection for officers
16 September 2020
A report on officer safety is calling for new legislation that makes it a specific indictable criminal offence for anyone to use, threaten or attempt to use a vehicle to deliberately target a police officer or front-line staff member.
The Officer and Staff Safety Review (OSSR) has been compiled by the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and follows the largest ever survey of police officers, staff and volunteers in England and Wales with more than 40,000 people responding.
Tim Rogers, deputy secretary of West Midlands Police Federation and pursuits and driver training lead within the national Federation, has welcomed the report and its findings, particularly in relation to measures to improve the safety of officers dealing with motorists at the side of the road.
He is already heading a Federation campaign to amend two sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which would give police officers the authority to require drivers to turn off their engine when stopped and also to demand that all occupants leave a vehicle.
“This report further highlights the risks officers face when they stop motorists and adds further weight to our campaign for a change in the law,” says Tim, “We know that more and more people are prepared to use their vehicles as a weapon against the police and the review has clearly brought this to the fore again.
“However, I really don’t think having a new indictable offence is what’s needed to tackle this. The law already outlines offences with which these people could be charged. If someone deliberately drives at another person they should be charged with dangerous driving or attempted murder. In my opinion, it’s the failure to apply charging standards that is causing these offences not to be properly dealt with.
“The Federation has successfully campaigned for an increase in the sentences available to courts when dealing with offenders who have assaulted officers but still we find that the tougher sentences are not being handed down. It’s the same with people who drive a vehicle at others, the more serious charges are not being laid and therefore the sentences don’t fit the crime.
“Just as frustrating though is the fact that the Force identified risk and vulnerability with regard to a lack of training and tactics when dealing with uncooperative people in vehicles in August last year and yet, to date, there is no remedy being put forward for this and no officer training plan. This is totally unacceptable. The Force knows it putting officers at risk yet 12 months on we have no tangible solution to this known issue.”
The OSSR report includes 28 recommendations for improving officer safety covering training for roads policing officers, improved equipment and further research on the link between shift work and safe driving practices with the review having identified the high number of officer deaths as they travelled to and from work.
