Chief Constable condemns attacks on Police officers

The Chief Constable has released a statement condemning any attacks on Manx Police officers.

Russell Foster outlines how in the last financial year, there were 41 assaults on Police officers and 15 offences of resisting arrest.

He described how the assaults can not only be physical, but have a lasting psychological impact on the officers and people should never assume attacks are 'part of the job.'

The Chief Constable made reference to a recent attack on a female officer, during which a dog was instructed to attack her. 

He called this incident 'abhorrent'.

The statement reads:

'All too frequently, police officers across the Isle of Man are subject to threats, abuse, intimidation and assault. Whilst the severity of such attacks may vary, the impact upon the individual does not.  It is never acceptable to assume that assaults upon police officers are ‘part of the job’. The impact of an assault on a police officer is not always just physical, but often psychological as well. On a wider scale, morale is adversely affected when officers see their friends and colleagues being assaulted and abused.  Morale and wellbeing are the key to efficient policing and all go hand in hand with providing an effective policing service to the Public. The Public call upon the police to help them when they are most in need and perhaps at their most vulnerable. We have a duty to protect the public from violent individuals, but we also have a duty as a society to protect police officers from being assaulted too.

'In the last financial year across the Island, there were 41 assaults on police officers and 15 offences of resisting arrest. These offences vary in their scale and impact, but each and every assault has an impact on the individual and upon policing. Ultimately, it should be remembered that police officers are people; they are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.  When they are attacked, they become victims just like any other person, but more often than not they become victims as a result of trying to protect others from being victimised. The impact of an assault on a police officer is not just upon the individual. Each time a police officer is assaulted there is the potential for absence from work or restrictions in their ability to perform their duty. These absences and restrictions impact on resourcing and inhibit the ability of the Constabulary to deliver frontline policing.  They also place additional strain on other members of the organisation due to the transfer of work to them.  Collectively, assaults can have a significant impact on the wider wellbeing of police officers across the Constabulary.'