Deputy National Chair Brian Booth: “The alarming statistics on police use of force released on Thursday confirm what frontline officers tell us every day: policing is becoming increasingly dangerous. With an increase of 9 per cent to more than 812,000 incidents in the year ending 31 March 2025, and an officer assaulted every 10 minutes across the UK, the threat to our members has reached a crisis point. Nearly two-thirds of use of force incidents involve officers protecting themselves from violence which is a damning indictment of the epidemic facing our profession.

“Through our Copped Enough campaign are demanding urgent action on the issues driving this crisis. Officers are pushed to breaking point by stagnant pay, mounting workloads and declining morale, yet they remain expected to run towards danger with no adequate protection and recognition of their sacrifice. Real terms pay cuts of 21 per cent since 2010 have left officers struggling to afford food, rent and heating whilst facing unprecedented violence daily.

“This simply cannot continue. Recruitment and retention in the police service has collapsed because officers are underpaid, overworked and undervalued. We risk losing close to 10,000 experienced officers every year, squandering £9.9 billion on replacements and making our communities vulnerable. No amount of legislation protects the protectors if we fail to support them properly.

“We call on the Government to act decisively: deliver fair pay recognising policing's unique demands, provide robust mental health and trauma support, make chief officers accountable for the wellbeing of our members and commit to proper equipment and training. Officers deserve to work in safe conditions without accepting assault as an occupational hazard. When we value and protect our police, we protect our communities. Copped Enough means urgent change and it must happen now.”