Tough action needed to halt level of attacks on police in NI, federation warns
Legislators and courts need to take 'tough and decisive action' to counter the 'shocking and appalling' toll of attacks on police officers, the Police Federation for Northern Ireland has said.
The federation, which represents rank-and-file Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers, said nine officers on average are being assaulted every day in the region.
During recent unrest in Northern Ireland, more than 70 officers have been injured, with some treated in hospital.
However, the federation has highlighted that officers deal with the daily risk of assault which often leads to injury and time off work, placing additional pressure on serving colleagues.
It has launched the 'Let Them Protect' public campaign, backed by PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Justice Minister Naomi Long.
Federation chairman Liam Kelly said the nine-a-day figure was conservative as many officers who suffer more minor assaults do not report them.
He said: 'These figures are shocking and appalling. It's high time we saw a much tougher approach with assailants who strike, kick, punch and spit at our colleagues.
'We want the public to realise the full extent of what our officers – themselves fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters – have to suffer.
'It's not right they should end up in hospital with injuries they sustain while protecting the community.'
Mr Kelly added: 'Decisive and tough sentences handed down by magistrates and judges will deter those who assault our police officers.
'Sentencing guidelines must be strengthened to empower the courts, to implement an effective deterrent.'
Ms Long said police officers in Northern Ireland demonstrate 'extraordinary courage' every day.
But she added: 'Shockingly, some people still feel that it is OK to attack or assault a police officer or that it's simply part of the job.
'That is not an acceptable attitude towards any other member of society and is certainly not an acceptable manner to treat those who uphold the rule of law and place themselves in harm's way to protect others.'
She added: 'I am committed to introducing stronger legislation to protect police officers and staff and will include a new offence, with a higher maximum penalty, for assaulting a person who is providing a service to the public, performing a public duty or delivering a public service in the Sentencing Bill.
'I hope to introduce this legislation to the Assembly in the autumn of this year.'
Chief Constable Mr Boutcher said: 'Policing is a tough profession and the officers and staff of the police service who stand up to serve the people of Northern Ireland deserve nothing but our admiration and respect.
'Every one of them does a vital job and whilst they come to work knowing that on any given day they could be faced with difficult and dangerous situations, what we should never accept, is for them to be physically assaulted.
'Being attacked should never be thought of as part of anyone's 'normal day' at work.'
Mr Boutcher said the public cannot continue to take policing for granted.
He said: 'Support for policing, and for our police officers, needs to be society-wide, and it should be recognised and understood that it is simply not acceptable to assault or attack police officers.
'We cannot, and will not, simply stand by and accept it.'
Policing Board chairman Mukesh Sharma said: 'Police officers step forward when others step back.
'They put their lives on the line for others every day and they do not deserve to come to work to be kicked, bitten or assaulted in any other way.
'Regrettably, figures show that officer assaults are no longer isolated incidents and should not be tolerated.'
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Kerley was arrested and charged with battery against a police officer, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. At a bond hearing the next day, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer found no probable cause for the disorderly conduct charge and lightly admonished a Miami Beach police sergeant who appeared via videoconference. 'Sergeant,' she said, 'this could have been handled a different way.' Kerley's jail booking triggered an automatic alert to a detective with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office who had been looking to arrest Kerley in connection with an unrelated incident six months earlier: Kerley's wife had called police and alleged he had strangled her. On May 7, 2024, according to an arrest affidavit, the couple got into an argument that, Angelica said, was far different from the violent flashes she had experienced in the past. 'I thought that the man was going to kill me,' Angelica said. 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Cooper said that another man was present and that the fight occurred between him and Kerley. Johnson, Cooper said, was there 'instigating' the fight and was struck inadvertently. 'The idea that Fred would punch someone if he didn't have this nonsense domestic violence allegation, no one would even buy that for a second, that he would punch a random woman, an ex-girlfriend he saw in the hallway of a hotel,' Cooper said. 'That's so out of character, frankly. But because he has this other nonsense allegation, it does lend some credence in the eyes of the public, which is unfortunate. 'Eventually, that case will be dismissed. His case in Miami Beach will be dismissed. And this Broward case will be the outlier and will be considered outlier alleged conduct and will once again seem ridiculous. We've got to crush all these one at a time.' Through her track and field agent, Johnson declined to comment. Kerley's legal issues haven't stopped his career, but they have affected it. Since the most recent allegations, he has run in Diamond League meets in Morocco and, in early June, in Rome, where he finished fifth in the 100. The May altercation left Kerley suspended from Grand Slam Track until the conclusion of the legal case, a league spokesman said. It cost him a potential financial windfall: Kenny Bednarek, promoted to be his main rival in a video still on Grand Slam Track's website, won $100,000 in each of the two meets Kerley missed, plus another $100,000 season-long bonus. In March, Beene ran into Kerley at the Texas Relays. He had not seen his old junior college sprinter in years. When he saw Kerley, he hugged him and told him, 'If you ever need anything, I'm still here.' Beene had read media reports about Kerley's altercation with police in Miami Beach but not the domestic violence allegation. He wondered whether fame had brought malign influences into Kerley's life. But he also remembered the kid who came from nothing and backed away from a fight with blood trickling into his eye. 'Unless he's changed a lot toward the negative, the Fred Kerley I know would not have done it the way they said he did it,' Beene said. Angelica said she is not in love with Kerley anymore but has love for him because he is the father of their children. She is leaning against testifying against him at a potential trial. 'I really don't want Fred to be in prison because of our kids,' Angelica said. 'I had a dad that was in prison, and he missed some of our lives.' Angelica wonders now whether Kerley was ever really the kind, generous person she met at South Plains. 'Honestly, I'm just tired,' she said. '… I understand he moves these certain ways because of things he has had to go through in his past, as a child. I understand why he's this way. But it's not fair to me to have to deal with that.' David Ovalle contributed to this report.
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