The Impact of assaults
Our community
In an under resourced police service every person counts and we want to ensure that our officers are available to respond effectively to all calls for service.
Following an attack on a fellow officer this year, Neighbourhood Inspector for South Belfast, Róisín Brown said:
“At a time when the police service is already stretched, this means that there is one less neighbourhood officer available to the community in South Belfast. Assaults on our officers are completely unacceptable, and have lasting impacts physically and psychologically. Protecting the community we serve is important to us and injuries like this are not just part of the job.”
Due to resources and funding pressures, Neighbourhood Police Officers are often deployed to backfill local policing teams.
If assaulted on duty they may be unable to perform their proactive policing role, in engaging with the community on crime prevention or road and community safety.
A Local Police Team Officer injured on duty may be unable to respond to calls for service or conduct follow up enquiries in the community.
A Tactical Support Group officer performing a public order role, injured on duty may be unable to perform their role in protecting our community from ongoing public disorder.
Every injured police officer, regardless of role, is one less officer to help in your community.
the victim
Policing in Northern Ireland is a job like no other and our officers join the service to protect the community. It is not part of the job to be kicked, head-butted, spat on, or punched. All assaults, regardless of severity have an impact, not only on the victim, but their colleagues and families, resulting in time off work to recover from physical and mental injuries. Our officers are themselves fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters and the impact that these assaults can have on their family life can be devastating.
Sergeant Mark Young spoke about an assault he suffered on duty:
‘‘I was subjected to a vicious attack from a detained person while working as custody sergeant. I was punched head over 14 times, kneed to the head twice and had to be seen by Ambulance staff as a result. My colleague, a female detention officer, was also badly injured – she was punched straight to the head with force.
These types of assaults are all too common and although we are trained to deal with these situations, it doesn’t take away from the pain and trauma that you experience from an attack like this.
After this assault I had to go home to my wife and my children, who were extremely shocked and upset seeing my injuries. It continues to worry them when dad goes to work that this could happen again.
This incident took place over Mothering Sunday, so I had to go and see my mother with these injuries …. it does have an impact on your whole family.’’
being assaulted at work isn’t part of the job.
Inspector Roísín Brown has also been the victim of assault while carrying out her policing role.
“Every single day I come into work and I review the previous 24 hours activities, and someone has been assaulted,” she said.
“I actually think assaults are becoming more serious and injuries are becoming more serious, broken bones, people losing consciousness, and then you have the everyday run-of-the-mill assaults that no one really talks about.
“I know that in my personal experience, I’ve had multiple low-level assaults that are just never reported, and it just comes with the job until something really serious happens, which happened last year to me,” she said.
Roísín said she had been the supervisor at a large event in west Belfast last August when a young man was evicted from the event, and was trying to fight with members of the public.
“So I jumped in to restrain him, and he turned round in a split second and hit me very hard to the side of my head and knocked me out for a short period of time. Then I had to terminate duty and go to hospital, and get X-rayed and treated.
“Everyone knows that the police go into difficult situations all the time, but I think something that serious was quite shocking for me and really disappointing where I was working at a concert and trying to keep people safe.”
In their words
Officer 1 was injured during recent disorder in Nailor’s Row.
“I was standing in the line of defence, everything was being thrown at us – petrol bombs, bricks, planks of wood.
My shield was lower than the guy beside me, and I suddenly felt myself not right, Next thing I remember my inspector had pulled me out. I got in the police truck and I couldn’t speak, my eyes were rolling in my head.
At first they thought it was the heat, but when I failed an eye test and they saw the damage to the right side of my helmet they realised it was more serious. They ruled out spinal damage after x-rays, and it was confirmed I had a concussion.
I’m still off work, I still have a weakness in my arms and legs.
The people doing this, they still don’t see the human behind the uniform."
Officer 3 experienced sexual assault while helping a member of the public.
“During my 5 years’ service I have been violently assaulted a number of times.
I have had large clumps of my hair torn out of my head, I have been punched in the face, and I have had a vehicle purposely driven at me.
Earlier this year I was sexually assaulted by a male member of the public when on routine patrol with my male colleague. The male had been self-harming and we were taking him to hospital. I sat in the back with him to try and stop him from hurting himself more.
In the back of the car and on exiting the vehicle the male touched me inappropriately. This persisted even after my colleague and I swapped seats outside of the vehicle.
When we got to the hospital I ran to the back of the car to help my colleague restrain the male again requesting immediate assistance. While getting the male out of the car he spat blood directly into my colleague’s face and mouth.
My sergeant let me and my colleague go back to our station in Waterside to get washed. I’m embarrassed to say I stood in the shower and cried.
I pride myself on being a strong person and try to make sure I can do everything my male colleagues do but this kind of behaviour is assault and is unacceptable. Especially when we are tasked to help those in society who need us at times of crisis.”
Officer 2 was assaulted while attending a disturbance at a hotel.
“At the time of my assault I had about twelve years’ service, I was still in response policing and enjoying every day. I had a great team, and we all looked out for one another.
We attended a report of criminal damage at a local hotel. It was about one o’clock in the morning. A guest had returned late and the night porter was slow getting to the door to open. The guest decided to enter through the window and broke it to get inside before going to his room.
When we arrived I went to the guest’s room with three colleagues. The hotel room was very small and there was only space for me, one colleague and the suspect.
The male was of slight build and mid-50s, he had a large gash in his wrist which was bleeding heavily. He was compliant with a search but couldn’t be cuffed due to the open wound on his wrist. I was standing to the male’s right side, shoulder to shoulder and I took a hold of his right wrist, I informed the male that he was under arrest and then I found myself on the floor between the wardrobe and the wall. The male had swung a punch with his injured arm catching me on the temple causing me to black out momentarily.
My colleagues quickly restrained the male, and we ended up taking him to Hollywell via A&E. I sustained bruising and swelling to my eye but the knock to my confidence outlasted the physical injury.
It’s one of those occasions where we did everything right but it wasn’t quite enough. I returned to duty the next day, and I still remember that evening some 10 years later.”
