Assaults on police officers in Gwent rose by 25% in 2020

Gwent Police have revealed that 452 crimes involving assault were committed against officers in 2020, significantly higher than in any of the three previous years.

Of these attacks, 320 were recorded as ‘assault causing no injury of a constable’ – almost three times as high as the 2019 figure (111).

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Attacks against all emergency workers have been on the rise – particularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic – with more than 4,240 assaults recorded between April 2019 and November 2020.

As the first round of Covid-19 restrictions eased in Wales last year, July (256 assaults) and August (253 assaults) saw the highest volume of emergency worker assaults, with around 20 per cent more attacks in both months than the monthly average.

From July, new sentencing guidelines were introduced in England and Wales which saw an increase to the maximum sentence of an offender found guilty of common assault when the victim is an emergency worker.

The latest figures from Gwent Police, released following a Freedom of Information Act request, show that, up to August 20 this year, there have been 224 attacks on police officers – more than in the whole of 2017.

The total number of offences against Gwent Police officers involving assault (Up to August 20, 2021). Data supplied by Gwent Police.

Again, the most common offence was ‘assault causing no injury of a constable’ (163 offences), with 53 cases of assault which caused injury.

There were also four separate cases of assault on an emergency worker causing no injury recorded against Gwent officers, and four cases of assaulting a dedicated person in the execution of their duty.

“We can only effectively do our jobs if people work with us and not against us," Gwent Police chief constable Pam Kelly said when the Joint Emergency Service Group called for the public to support emergency workers in May.

“With assaults on emergency workers continuing to rise, we are insisting and appealing for this type of behaviour to stop.

Offences involving assault against police officers in Gwent, up to August 20, 2021. Data supplied by Gwent Police.

“Too often I see the devastating impact these assaults have on police officers and other emergency workers as they go about their duty to help those in need.

“It is important to remember that beneath any uniform is a person who has friends, family members and loved ones.

“An assault on any emergency worker is a crime, be that physical or verbal, and will not be tolerated.”