NEWS


Police drivers to get greater protection in law


Police drivers are to be afforded greater protections from prosecution, as long as they are following their training and approved police tactics. Following years of campaigning


UK Police still ‘most restrained’ despite being assaulted


Home Ofce statistics showing a rise in police use of force must be seen in the context of the unacceptably high cases of violence against ofcers, the Federation said. Figures released in December 2020 showed


there were 492,000 recorded uses of force by ofcers for the year to March 2020 – a rise of 64,000 on the previous year. However, in the same period, there were 30,679 recorded assaults against the police in England and Wales – that’s 84 every day. PFEW National Vice-Chair Ché Donald said:


“We must read these statistics in relation to the steady increase in assaults on ofcers. During the period this data covers, almost 20,000 ofences were charged under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Ofences) Act and three- quarters were assault by beating. Nine out of 10 of these cases were police ofcers. “The statistics show that UK policing is


still one of the best trained and most restrained. Ofcers use their expertise to protect themselves in an increasingly dangerous job. I make no apology for my colleagues doing the best they can to keep the public, themselves and their colleagues safe. Most people appreciate and understand what we do.” Taser was used in 32,000 incidents but


crucially was not discharged in 86 per cent of cases. Total Taser use is up 37 per cent on the previous year and most of the increase (88 per cent) was in non-discharge uses. A Taser uplift has seen more ofcers than ever given access to this life-saving piece of kit thanks to successful PFEW lobbying.


04 | POLICE | FEBRUARY 2021


by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), the Government has agreed to pass the Police Powers and Protections Bill to end the scandal of response drivers being held to the same legal standard as ordinary motorists. Tim Rogers, Driver Training and


Pursuits Lead for the Federation, said: “We’ve seen too many officers facing years of conduct or criminal investigation for dangerous driving when in reality they had been using their skills and training to do the job they were asked to do. This has now been addressed and the bill introduces a new test for police drivers.”


If the bill becomes law as


expected this Autumn, it means officers will be regarded as driving dangerously only if: • the way they drive falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful constable who has undertaken the prescribed training; or


• it would be obvious to such a competent and careful constable that driving in that way would be dangerous. However, the Federation is concerned that a lack of knowledge and understanding among those assessing officers’ driving, and inconsistent practices around the country could still leave officers exposed. Tim warned: “We must ensure


a consistent and professional approach. As it stands currently, we can have five similar driving matters being reviewed with five different outcomes from a Chief’s Commendation to a Notice of Prosecution and that cannot be right. We can see some officers getting words of advice while others are being suspended or being


subject to conduct investigations.” Tim’s Force, West Midlands,


is looking to appoint four full-time staff in the Driver Standards Unit (DSU) tasked with assessing matters of concern about officer and staff driving. Tim hopes this approach, which follows a scheme in Kent, will be rolled out nationwide. He added: “All police drivers will


have to drive and perform tactics exactly as they have been trained. Your average motorist probably never drives exactly as they did on their test but that is not an option for police drivers. “The training is there for a


reason. Driving a car at speed or contrary to any road signs or restrictions in place comes at a risk and that risk is only mitigated by officers following their training to the letter.”


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