West Mercia Police has welcomed proposals for changes in the law which will see the maximum sentence for those convicted of assaulting police officers and other emergency workers doubled.
Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing, Rachel Jones, said: “Every day officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect others and keep our communities safe. It is never acceptable for anyone to be assaulted or harmed when they are working to protect and keep the public safe.
“This change in legislation sends a clear message and we will support the prosecution of anyone who uses violence against emergency workers.
“We take our responsibility to look after our officers incredibly seriously and the wellbeing of all those that work for and volunteer for us is paramount. We have commissioned a review of our officer safety training and PPE provision to explore if there are new options available to us to try and reduce assaults either through additional training or different equipment. We will continue to work with our staff associations to ensure that appropriate support services are in place for them and their families.”
New sentencing laws will increase the maximum penalty to two years as part of justice reforms.
