Page 5 - Manchat Winter 2016

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Unacceptable Assaults

CHAIRMAN Proper Deterrent those fine words backed up by actions now.
If somebody attacks a police officer then I remember 29 years ago, when I joined the
Ian Hanson
they should do so in complete certainty that police service, if you attacked a police officer the
they are going to lose their liberty. When we starting point was prison and that sent a very
see horrendous attacks on police officers being strong message to those who were tempted to do
dealt with by community sentences, or almost no that.
sentence at all, then what sort of message does You knew that if you laid a hand on a police
that send out to those who would be tempted to officer that you were going to lose your liberty and
elcome to the latest edition of attack a police officer? more than likely your job, and that meant that no
Manchat. There is much focus at
W the moment on the issue of police
“If police officers aren’t safe then neither
officer assaults and appropriate sentencing when
someone attacks a police officer.
are our communities and the Government
As the cover of this magazine so starkly indi-
cates, last year 1,457 police officers were
needs to wake up to that reality”
assaulted on duty in Greater Manchester –
that is four police officers every day.
The whole policing family have been trying to I was really pleased to see that at the beginning matter what sort of drunken state that person was
get our political masters to wake up to this as it is of November a debate took place in the House of in, the prospect of a prison sentence had the effect
getting worse every day. Commons on the topic of police officer safety, but of making them think twice.
If our communities expect police officers to we need more than words from our politicians. I have recently written to our local MPs asking
stand between them and dangerous individuals, We hear them regularly say that we have got them how they voted in November’s debate over
then those same police officers are entitled to be the best police service in the world, but let’s see statutory sentencing for assaults on police officers,
given the optimum protection from the Courts. This and invited them to set out their rationale for how
has never been more important, as that danger they did so.
is more prevalent than it ever has I would like to be able to devel-
been because of the wholesale lack op a supportive debate among
of police officers on the frontline. our sensible politicians around
We have seen Greater Manchester this issue, as opposed to the
lose in excess of 1,500 police officers - seeing the kind of GMP bashing we
and that has to affect officer safety. saw in the antics of one MP. As I said at
There are many things that forces can do to try the time, “we expect better of our MPs”.
and maximise safety in terms of equipment and
the like, but at the end of the day having enough Proud Policing Tradition
boots on the ground at peak times when The story around prisons gathered political and
police officers are under threat is the most media attention at breakneck speed, and suddenly
effective way of keeping police officers money was found from nowhere. Our politicians
safe – and for that matter keeping communities would be doing their communities a great service
safe as well. If police officers aren’t safe, then by taking that case to Government and by telling
neither are our communities – and the Government them that we as a society must protect the protec-
needs to wake up to that reality. tors – both in the Courts and by ensuring we are
I note that money has been found to recruit properly resourced so we can keep our communi-
thousands more prison officers in response to pris- ties safe.
on disorder, but we also need more police officers. We have a proud policing tradition in this
It is a positive step that the force is recruiting a country – one which is built on trust and con-
significant number of new officers at the moment, sensus, and that trust is backed up by a unique
but be under no illusion these are not additional social contract with our communities that those
colleagues. All they will do is try to keep us where who run towards danger will be protected.
we are now as the big intakes of the late 1980s are Local MPs have a pivotal part to play within that
retiring in droves. contract, both on behalf of those they represent
We can try and dress this up as much as we and those who put themselves in danger every day.
want with new policing models and changes to I want to see every sensible MP who cares about
shifts – but the reality is that no model will work policing, who cares about police officers, who
unless it is properly resourced and unless we can cares about the communities, join me in commit-
do that, all the great work we have done to improve ting to support the police officers of Greater
policing and make our communities safer will Manchester.
simply be eroded over time. Stay safe.

Wint
Winter 2016 er 2016 5 5