ASSAULTS against emergency service workers in Warwickshire rose by nearly a third last year.
New figures have shown the number of assaults against officers and emergency service workers rose from 181 in 2019 to 236 in 2020.
Chief Superintendent Ben Smith called the figures ‘extremely disappointing’.
He said: “While most of the county has been in lockdown, our officers have been working 24/7, putting themselves at risk, in order to protect the public and keep our communities safe.
“As police officers, we accept we will be asked to put ourselves in harm’s way to protect others, but this does not mean we expect to be assaulted. Like everyone else, emergency service workers have a right to work in a safe environment and to return home safe and uninjured at the end of a shift.
“Sadly, we know these figures are not unique to Warwickshire and there have been increases across the country.
“Assaults of any nature against emergency service workers will not be tolerated, and where our officers or blue light colleagues are assaulted, we will look to use the full force of the law to bring those responsible to justice.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman John Kelly added: “It is never appropriate for our staff to be abused, verbally or physically; our crews have the right to work without fear of violence or intimidation whilst trying to help patients.
“It is clear that the public are outraged every time one of them is hurt and we hope that each time someone is convicted of assaulting an emergency service worker, that it acts as a deterrent to others who might think about attacking our staff.”
