The Scottish government needs to do more to support police officers, says ASPS

Mr Hay said he has already written to Angela Constance expressing concern that offenders who had attacked police officers may be eligible for emergency early release schemes, as the government tries to address high prison populations.

Outlining the joint campaign with the Scottish Police Federation, ‘Assault The Police? No Early Release’, Mr Hay told the Justice Secretary that the Scottish government needs to do more to support police officers.

“I received a reply from Angela saying that she recognises the crucial role police officers and staff play in ensuring public safety, and that the threats, abuse and attacks on them were completely unacceptable. However, she pushed back on any changes to the legislation, saying they would delay the start of prison releases,” said Mr Hay.

“People might wonder why ASPS has an interest in this issue, when Federated colleagues are at more risk of assault than senior officers. But it’s up to us to make the best deployment decisions and ensure we’re supporting our officers properly. We are always aware that we are potentially putting officers in harm’s way. Even though they are trained to the very best they can be, there’s always an element of risk, and the responsibility can weigh heavily on you.”

Mr Hay said there are nearly 20 assaults a day on police officers in Scotland, and 90 per cent of assaults recorded against emergency services workers were recorded against police officers.

“So it’s really important for us to come into this campaign alongside Federated colleagues to try to push for more of a deterrent for those who use violence against the police,” he said. “We want to see the government take this seriously and do something about it.

“The government has made an exception for domestic abusers and sex offenders, and will not be releasing them early from prison; we feel very strongly that people who use violence against police officers are another category that shouldn’t be eligible for early release. Adding them to the exceptions list would be a positive move from the government and send the message to Scottish police officers that they are being supported.”

Mr Hay added: “We have asked for the numbers of offenders who could be released in this way, but we haven’t received an answer. The government is keen to talk about the pressure the Scottish prison system is under, but without being able to talk about the numbers involved it’s hard to take this as a credible response. The fact that we don’t have these figures is a symptom of the apathy that exists in the criminal justice system towards assaults on police officers.”

In her letter, Mr Hay said Ms Constance says the pressure caused by overcrowded prisons “puts prison officers at risk”.

“But if violence in prisons is a problem, that should be addressed in prisons – the answer is not just letting offenders out,” Mr Hay said. “The Scottish public would expect people to be in prison when they’ve committed violent offences, and among those are people who have the determination and audacity to attack Scottish police officers.

“Prisons are controlled environments whereas our communities are much less so. If we can’t prevent violence in our prisons, the risks to public safety are surely far greater in communities.

“Police officers accept the risk of violence that comes with their work, but it doesn’t mean we should tolerate it. We should always challenge the fact that people are violent towards police officers; it shouldn’t be normalised.”

Mr Hay said he was looking forward to having “a frank discussion” with Ms Constance this week, because he does not think the Scottish government has got this right.

He added: “We also want to take this issue forward to try to get a commitment from all political parties ahead of the Holyrood elections next year. Police do an essential job in society, and they deserve the support of whichever government is in power.”