Figures show attacks on police officers in Scotland

MORE than 5,500 attacks on police officers in Scotland were reported last year, the equivalent of 15 a day, new figures reveal.

5,555 attacks by members of the public against Police Scotland's 17,000-strong force were recorded between April 2012 and April 2013. Picture: Julie Bull

A total of 5,555 attacks by members of the public against Police Scotland’s 17,000-strong force were recorded between April 2012 and April 2013.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that the year before, 2011-12, a total of 6,041 attacks occurred and that in 2010-11 a total of 5,524 were reported.

The figures were revealed for forces across the UK yesterday, showing the rate in Scotland was higher than elsewhere in the country.

The Metropolitan Police – which has 31,000 officers – only suffered 1,493 attacks on officers last year – five per cent of the force.

The next closest to Scotland in attacks-per-officer was Hertfordshire, where 451 attacks against 2,000 police personnel were reported.

The UK-wide statistics show an average of 54 attacks against police officers every day in the UK, with a total of 19,670 assaults on duty last year.

Justice secretary Kenny Mac- Askill said he backed the courts using “the full force of the law” in dealing with attacks on officers. “Our police officers do a difficult job in very challenging circumstances, often putting themselves in danger and risking life and limb to protect the public,” he said.

“I condemn anyone carrying out such attacks and back the 
judiciary in using the full force of the law on anyone found guilty.”

The Scottish Government’s Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill will create a Restitution Fund, which will contribute to the costs of running support services for police officers who have been assaulted in the course of their duties.

However, the plans have been questioned by the Law Society of Scotland, which wants to know why a similar provision has not been made for other emergency staff.

The latest assault figures echo ones released in December last year by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, which showed 3,000 working days had been lost during the previous three years because of assaults on Scottish police officers.

In what was formerly the Strathclyde policing region, attacks on police personnel between 2010 and 2012 cost the force more than £263,000.

In Central Scotland there were 100 working days lost in 2012, compared with five in 2011 and one in 2010, while Fife recorded a high of 143 for the same period, up from nine the previous year.

The political party’s justice spokeswoman, Alison McInnes, described the findings as “a national shame”.

Crown Office figures released last week showed that police were the target of almost 40 per cent of religiously aggravated abuse in Scotland.