Today, we have announced new plans to double the maximum penalty for those assaulting an emergency worker – from 12 months to 2 years – offering greater protection to our frontline heroes and delivering stronger punishments to these vile thugs for their appalling behaviour.
When I was a government minister responsible for our fire and police services I heard many stories about how officers were abused or assaulted in the line of duty. Assaulting any emergency worker - someone who is there to keep us and our families safe - is deplorable. Those who strike out in this way should be dealt with severely.
This year we have seen people come together in the face of adversity to serve their communities in response to the pandemic. The debt of gratitude we owe to our emergency workers has never been greater. Every day they risk their lives to protect ours – they should never face being punched, kicked or spat at.
This Conservative Government is proposing a new law to increase the maximum sentence from 12 months to two years – showing these vile criminals they will face the full force of the law. This comes as new figures today show that more than 100,000 people have applied to become police officers in the first year of our recruitment drive, bringing us closer to our manifesto commitment to an additional 20,000 new recruits