Nearly 60 assaults on Scotland’s frontline workers every day

The findings come as a police officer has been forced to leave her job due to the trauma of attending a crime where she and her colleague were attacked with a knife.

NHS workers are enduring the largest number of violent incidents, suffering around 31 attacks per day in hospitals and health centres.

Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, prison staff, shopworkers, railway staff and teachers are among those on the front line who have been targeted.

Analysis by 1919 Magazine, the monthly justice and social affairs publication, has uncovered the scale of the crisis, with an average of 58.2 attacks recorded every day where data is available.

Police officers suffered 18 assaults a day in 2022/23 which, while a slight reduction on the previous year, still accounted for a total of 6,657 cases.

In more than a quarter of these episodes, officers sustained notable injuries.

Last month, Scott McGregor was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of one police officer and assaulting two others during a frenzied attack that took place in a flat in Glasgow’s Lambhill in October 2022.

While the officers escaped the knife attack without serious injury, 1919 today reveals how the ordeal caused one female PC to leave the police service.

Addressing the attack which forced one police officer to leave the force, David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), said: “This incident was extremely traumatic for all concerned and it is a miracle that no one was more seriously injured.

“The references in this case to one of my colleagues having to leave the service as a result of this incident show that we should never underestimate the impact on our mental, as well as our physical health, and the SPF will continue to press the service to ensure that we have adequate provision in place for all police officers who become injured doing their duty.”

He added: “As can be seen from this case, we occasionally deal with people who have no regard for their actions, the safety of either themselves or those they come into contact with, and we have to deal with the consequences.

“We must continue to demand the best protection we can for those doing their duty; anything less is failing those we charge with carrying out the most vital work in keeping our communities safe.”

Meanwhile, a new law designed to clamp down on people assaulting or abusing shopworkers has resulted in almost one conviction every day since it came into force.

Figures released by the Scottish government reveal there have already been more than 500 convictions under the Protection of Workers Act, which came into force in 2021.

And in the 11 months to November 2023 there were 2,233 assaults recorded – the equivalent of roughly seven per day.

Prison officers sustained a significant increase in assaults from inmates, with the 279 recorded incidents in 2023 a substantial rise on the 178 the year before.

Firefighters were attacked on 80 occasions, while violence on trains and in railway stations has caused ScotRail to announce in recent weeks that it intends to triple body-worn cameras for its frontline staff.

No nationwide figures are available for recorded assaults on teachers, however a number of union and Scottish government surveys have revealed a rising tide of aggression in schools.

Compensation pay-outs to teachers injured by violent pupils nearly doubled to £500,000 last year.

Scottish Grocers’ Federation chief executive Dr Pete Cheema told 1919: “Scottish retailers are being overwhelmed by the shocking rise in retail crime in recent years.

“These figures are only the tip of the iceberg, as thousands of tragic cases of shop theft, abuse and vandalism go unreported.

“This information comes to light amidst a torrent of widespread shop theft, some of which involves organised crime groups, reports of staff resigning because they fear for their safety, and suspected losses worth millions of pounds to local businesses.

“Crime against retailers is a clear and present threat and current economic conditions, alongside budgetary strains on the police, have caused the situation to worsen further.”

Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson, who introduced the Protection of Workers Bill to Holyrood, said: “These shocking figures show how many shopworkers face violence and harassment at work.

“Retail crime in Scotland is reaching crisis point and retail staff are bearing the brunt.”