ASSAULT ON POLICE
Our
Pledge
to you

Hampshire Constabulary will not tolerate
assaults (physical or verbal) on officers and staff.
Being assaulted in any way is not part of the job.

A Seven-Point Plan
1.

Assaults on police officers and police staff should be investigated with the same
care, compassion and commitment as an assault on a member of the public. This
sounds obvious, but too often our response to assaults on officers and staff can be rushed or
treated as secondary to other offences.

2.

The Victim Code applies to all victims and therefore to assaults on police officers
and staff. Complying with the Victim Code means keeping the victim updated, discussing
outcome options, and taking account of the victim’s point of view before imposing an outcome.
This is crucial because we know that we don’t always get our response right, with assaulted
officers and staff reporting dissatisfaction and even resentment.

3.

The assaulted officer must never be the OIC for the investigation into their own
assault. This is not appropriate on any level and even taking statements from witnesses may
be inappropriate. The integrity of the investigation and the impartiality of the officer could be
called into question, which could undermine the case and/or heighten the impact on the victim.

4.

Victims recover better and more quickly if they receive the right welfare and
supervision. This also helps to avoid long-term negative consequences. The assaulted person’s
supervisor should meet with them as soon as it is practical to do so. The victim may downplay
the impact on them, but supervisors must recognise the potential effects of the incident.

5.

The supervisor must ensure that the district commander/head of department is
informed to provide continuity of welfare support. The Police Federation, Superintendent
Association or Unison can also provide valuable additional support to the victim.

6.

The assaulted officer or member of staff and the supervisor must complete the
Accident Management System (AMS) report. It will not always be possible for the victim to
do this, in which case another person can complete the report.

7.

To achieve a successful prosecution, the best evidence must be presented.
You should use Victim Personal Statements and whoever is investigating the assault needs
to fully understand the “points to prove” for assaults on police officers or staff. An officer’s
self-written statements, provided straight after the events, could be made in haste and might not
contain all of the key facts. As a result, cases sent for prosecution sometimes
fail to meet basic evidential needs.

Olivia Pinkney,
Chief Constable

John Apter, Chairman
Hampshire Police Federation

Kathy Symonds
Unison

Ben Snuggs
Superintendent Association