Attacks on emergency workers in parts of the North East are higher than anywhere in the country, according to recently released data.
Home Office figures show that violence and abuse against emergency crews from Durham were recorded more often than almost every other part of England last year.
Overall, those working for police, fire and ambulance units across the whole Durham patch recorded 658 assaults in the year to March 2022.
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Most of the alleged victims were police constables – there were 516 assaults without injury on PCs last year and 128 with injury, while there were 14 on other emergency workers.
In the aftermath of the data release, the Police Federation has described the "appalling" rise in offences nationally as a stain on society and said emergency workers should be able to carry out their duties safely.
Across England and Wales, 44,600 emergency worker assaults were recorded in 2021-22 – a rise of 10 per cent from the 40,400 the year before.
Since the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill came into law in 2018, the maximum prison sentence for common assault on an emergency worker has been 12 months.
A Government spokesperson said: “Assaults on members of our emergency services are unacceptable, which is why this government has doubled the maximum penalty for assaulting an emergency worker."
The offence applies to attacks on 'blue light' workers such as the police, paramedics, and firefighters, along with many others, including prison officers, NHS workers, and St John’s Ambulance volunteers.
The Police Federation said the rise in assaults on emergency workers is appalling and must not be tolerated or seen as ‘part of the job’.
Steve Hartshorn, national chairman of the organisation, said: “Crime levels rose once Covid restrictions were lifted and a split-second act of violence, whether an injury is sustained or not, often leaves devastating and long-term effects on police officers.
“Assaults on emergency workers are a stain on society and many of these assaults which are recorded without an injury would have been vile spitting and coughing attacks."
Alongside the data, separate figures show that the proportion of offenders charged has fallen nationwide, from 68 per cent to just 62 per cent in 2021-22.
In Durham, 519 emergency worker assault investigations concluded last year, with 72 per cent resulting in a charge or summons – down from 76 per cent in 2020-21.
Elsewhere, in Cleveland, the fire brigade has warned that violent attacks on crews will not be tolerated – after reporting ten incidents between April and July 2022 alone.
This includes firefighters being threatened with a shovel and crews spat at, to attempting to take water carriers away from firefighters and throwing bricks and stones and damaging an engine.
Chief Fire Officer, Ian Hayton, has called the acts “completely unacceptable for our staff”.
He added: Our job is being made more difficult by the thoughtless actions of a minority intent on setting fires and then trying to injure staff and damage engines.
“This can potentially mean a vehicle is off the road and unavailable to respond to other incidents. These attacks also divert crews from real emergencies where lives may be at risk.”
While firefighters and fire engines are fitted with CCTV cameras and body cams, Cleveland Fire Brigade has called on local people to report these “damaging” crimes.
PTSD 999, a support organisation for all emergency services, said stronger sentencing for offenders would protect both the public and those facing assaults.
Gary Hayes, the co-founder of the group, said: "Assaults on emergency service workers can be traumatising but not necessarily at the time of the event, the effects on the individual may present itself days, weeks, months or years later.”
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