Under attack - but we’re let down by the courts
2/2/12 PM South Central Ambulance Service workers L-R Jo Robb and Paul Snow who were attacked by a patient and only got a caution for it. Pictured at Havant Amblance station. Picture: Paul Jacobs (120394-9)
THEY help us when we’re in need of urgent or emergency care _ yet ambulance staff, police officers and firefighters run the risk of being attacked while trying to carry out their jobs.
A Freedom of Information Act request has revealed in the past three years 249 police officers have been assaulted.
Last year 15 firefighters in the county were attacked.
And in the past three years 23 ambulance workers were hit or threatened with violence.
But unions say some attackers are getting away lightly and are now calling for tougher sentences.
Paramedics Jo Robb and Paul Snow, who are based at Havant Ambulance Station, were assaulted on Boxing Day last year when they were called to a home in Portchester.
Jo, 40, said: ‘We got a call that a middle-aged man had collapsed in his home. We walked in and he was on the floor.
‘We helped him up and carried out our observations – it was clear he had been drinking.
‘Then he grabbed my arm and twisted it and said he would break it.
‘He just lashed out. It was a shock to the system and I was quite shook up.
‘Then the next day it made me quite angry that we had been called to this incident and it had taken an ambulance off the street.’
The man also punched Mr Snow in the face when he went to the aid of this colleague.
He managed to pin the man to the ground before police arrived and arrested him.
The man was cautioned and wrote a letter of apology to the paramedics, but Paul, 44, said the penalty needed to be tougher.
‘This is not what our job is about,’ he said.
‘The man got a caution because he had shown remorse and wrote a letter of apology, but it doesn’t feel like enough.
‘I have gone through all that training and want to help people.
‘To be treated like that is quite upsetting – I just want to get my job done.’
Paramedic union the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel says harsher sentences must be given.
Spokesman Jonathan Fox said: ‘We want a zero-tolerance policy, but it’s up to the courts to make the appropriate decision. The punishment should fit the crime and ensure no abuse is excusable.’
Portsmouth District Commander Norman Mellors said: ‘Assaults on emergency services staff will be taken very seriously as are all reports of assault.’
The number of attacks on emergency services in the Portsmouth area last year:
South Central Ambulance Service recorded six assaults on staff between January to October.
It also recorded three incidents where ambulances were vandalised.
Hampshire Constabulary recorded 50 attacks to police officers in Portsmouth from January to October, along with seven vehicles being damaged.
In the Fareham, Gosport and Havant areas 40 assaults were reported and four vehicles damaged.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service says 15 firefighters were attacked in the county.
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Comments
There are 10 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Airwolf
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:39 AMrich dont cause crimes eh? I suggest you read up on all those rich footballers who are always getting in trouble or the bankers kicking off in the city of london every friday night which was imortalised recently on a reality cop tv show. Or we dont see almost daily some rich celebrity being done for speeding, drink driving or falling out of some rich gentlemans club
Will Purvis
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 08:55 AM@simon.farlington Sorry, but it simply doesn't hold true that "the rich don't cause crime". Putting aside the obviously range of 'white collar' crimes, alcohol abuse and associated anti-social behaviour and violent crimes are not a problem of just the poor. The rate of alcohol consumption in the UK is actually declining as a whole, but the rate of alcohol abuse is actually increasing rapidly in the professional classes. For example, recent reports have shown that women from managerial or professional backgrounds are 19% more likely to drink heavily at home than women from working-class households. We need to do more to tackle problem drinking in all parts of society.
freespirit
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:13 PMTo snobby Simon- lots of the drunks on the street were once wealthy people so your theory is rubbish. Some of the "rich"people can be very aggressive abusive even when their sober. I bet if you asked the services they would tell you its not just drunks they have trouble with! If persons are violent to emergency services,they should be properly punished and made to apologize face to face, plus do some of the worse jobs the community services have to do.. The police have proceedures to deal with violence the Ambulance staff Firefighters do not.
simon.farlington
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:24 PMI am just saying that it is a privilege to drink, not a right and the rich upper class have this privilege. I am by no means a snob but i believe in the class system. The upper class have should have more rights and privileges then the lower working class, benefits claiming people. Stop the lower classes drinking, shut all the clubs, bars and pubs by 1030pm and see drink related crime fall by 100%. The rich don't cause crimes. FACT
trencher
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 06:22 PMWell im jolly posh and im quaffing my 3rd bottle of champers now before i go out and bash the working class scum and the unemployed over the head with the empty bottles" oik oik
Richard B
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 05:27 PMTaxing drink won't stop anything. The scum who couldn't afford it would just steal it. It is time drunkards were deterred from their obnoxious habit. There should be a special law against attacking emergency services personnel with extra tough punishments guaranteed.
mensi
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 04:56 PM@ 2 , Jolly good show, a spiffing idea my good fellow.
StuNorthEnd
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 04:43 PM@2 - funniest comment of the day albeit regarding a serious subject !
simon.farlington
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 04:32 PMSimple answer tax alcohol so much that only the rich and most responsible people (the upper class) can afford to buy it. It is poor, lower, working class who are the trouble. In my opinion bars, pubs and clubs should all close by 1030pm and leave only the Gentlemans Clubs open, by which I mean members only rich people clubs.
cooter2
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 04:20 PMalcohol is a mood altering drug and readily available and taxable so it will always be around, do people still have to pay for emergency call out? if so give the medics cameras like the traffic wardens show this to the law and fine the abuser add it to the call out cost and give a bit the of money to the medics fire fighters police as a thankyou and moral booster from the nation
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