Spit hoods issued to make officers ‘that little bit safer’

Spit guards are set to be rolled out to every police officer in Essex to “protect our protectors”. Since 2015, Essex Police has recorded 48 cases of officers being spat at, which risks officers contracting diseases if blood is present in the saliva. The lightweight mesh spit guards were approved for use in 2007 and can only be used once each. They are expected to cost around £1,000 per year. Essex Police has now become the 26th force in the UK to sanction the protective measure. They will be issued to officers after the mandatory training is completed. Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh said the hoods will “protect our protectors” and make officers’ jobs much safer. He added: “I`ve been spat at and I talk to many of my officers who have been the victims of this assault too, including one case just a week ago. “Being spat on – with saliva and sometimes with blood too – isn`t just unpleasant. It risks contracting illness or disease or at the very least worry and stress that they might. I want officers out there keeping Essex safe, not sitting in a GP surgery scared for their wellbeing. “I trust my officers to carry items of protective equipment like tasers, batons and in some cases firearms. I trust them to use that equipment professionally and there is no place in policing for people who do not do so. “The decision to use these lightweight mesh guards will protect our protectors and allow police officers to do their work more safely with less need to restrain with force people taken into police custody.” At the 2017 Police Federation of England and Wales conference last month, Amber Rudd said she approved of spit guards being introduced to police officers. However, Labour’s Diane Abbott was jeered when she said “hard evidence” was needed to prove officers run the risk of contracting diseases from spitting. Essex Police Federation chair Steve Taylor praised Mr Kavanagh for his work on rolling out the protective measure. “We asked and the force listened to why spit guards were needed,” he said. “And we must give credit to the chief constable for engaging with us, hearing the evidence we presented and working with us on this matter. “They will be on the belt of every police officer and this is great news for our colleagues on the frontline. Being spat at is a vile crime and it is not part of the job. We must protect the protectors and this piece of protective equipment will provide a safe system to help us achieve this. “When anybody is spat at there is a risk to their health. No one – police officer or not – should have to go through the anguish that this can cause, when they may, for instance, be advised that they should not be intimate with their family. “I am really pleased that police officers in Essex will have this vital piece of equipment and be that little bit safer following this decision. At the end of the day if a person doesn’t want to be placed in a spit guard, they shouldn’t be spitting at a police officer.” Essex Police will ask its Strategic Independent Advice Group to monitor use of the spit guards.