Ulster Unionists Condemn Christmas Attacks on Police and Demand Urgent Sentencing Review
The Ulster Unionist Party utterly condemns the assaults on police officers, reported by the PSNI in the Newry, Mourne and Down policing district over the three day Christmas period.
Fourteen officers were assaulted with one officer hospitalised by a disgusting bite injury. This disturbing litany of assaults is becoming all too common a spokesperson said, and will be having a detrimental effect on both the wellbeing and morale of officers as they carry out their duties of protecting the public.
This trend of attacking public servants, like fire fighters, ambulance paramedics and front line hospital emergency staff is “totally unacceptable” and needs to be stopped.
In addition to the reported assaults on police officers yet another police vehicle was rammed, this time in Forkhill, with the vehicle used to ram escaping over the border.
On this occasion the officers were shocked but fortunately unhurt. However, the police vehicle was severely damaged and this will hamper the police patrolling capacity in the area whilst the specialised damaged vehicle undergoes extensive repairs.
Ulster Unionist Policing Board member, Alan Chambers MLA, said: “Regrettably this trend of assaults on police officers will continue to occur until a review of sentencing guidelines for the judiciary is carried out by the Department of Justice and implemented as a matter of urgency.
“The sentencing guidance for a minor and non-permanent assault on a police officer has a starting point of a community order and a compensation order ranging to the upper limit of an additional fine.
“Such an assault may be considered minor but a punch landing inches away from where suffered could have a life changing outcome.
“Assaults should be judged not by the injury caused but by the very intent that an assault was launched at all. The sentencing guidance for an assault causing a more serious injury recommends a range of custody from two to six months.
“An assault involving gratuitous violence such as kicking or stamping a victim when on the ground, or a motiveless assault is only subject to a recommended custody range of four to six months.
“Is this how we value and protect our police officers? None of these sentencing guidelines offer any deterrent value to make an assailant think twice before assaulting a police officer.
“The police deserve better protection by the courts but these guidelines can curtail the ability of judges to truly evaluate what sentence an assailant deserves.
“I have been campaigning for a different approach to be taken in regards to the increasing and frequent ramming of police vehicles as well as vehicles being driven towards officers whilst outside their police vehicle.”
Alan Chambers added: “In my opinion these attacks that use a vehicle as a weapon should be treated in the same way as the use of a firearm.
“Both weapons deployed against a police officer are designed to kill or injure and should be viewed as attempted murder. Instead the outcome upon arrest of a suspect who has rammed a police vehicle will result in a series of motoring offences that in no way reflect the intent or serious nature of the crime committed.
“I understand from discussing this with senior management in the PSNI that this is due to the high bar set by the Public Prosecution Service in proving attempted murder.
“This is another area that requires urgent review by the Department of Justice. It is only a matter of time before an officer is killed or severely injured by a deliberate act of ramming their vehicle or aiming a vehicle at them while outside their police vehicle.
“I would call on the Justice Minister to address these sentencing issues with urgency.
“They should apply to all front line public servants but especially to police officers who confront violent situations on a daily basis.”
