A serving PSNI officer has said an attack she suffered while on duty made her reconsider her role in the police service.
It comes after a man put his hands around her neck and tried to strangle her before punching her, leaving her with facial injuries.
Over the last five years there have been around 3,500 assaults on officers with over 900 resulting in injury, police revealed today.
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The female officer, who does not wish to be identified, was attacked while attending a routine collision in Mid Ulster when a man who was being arrested turned violent.
"I worked very hard to get into the PSNI and for an incident, which probably lasted no more than 30 seconds, to change absolutely everything played a part in the emotional aftermath and the decision on whether I should stay or was that really something that I wanted to put myself through again," she told Belfast Live.
"I don't expect to go into work and get assaulted at any time and the same goes for anybody in any job.
"It is such a reality and becoming a lot more common that officers are being assaulted and people look at it as being part of the job.
"The fact that people are increasingly seeing it as normal that the police get assaulted and they attack the uniform without thinking that we are humans at the end of the day with families to go home to, they should be grateful for the service that we are trying to provide when we are facing circumstances with extremely vulnerable or volatile people."
The officer said that the support she received from the PSNI after the incident was "excellent" but she has concerns that cuts to the service could impact that support for officers in the future.
Reflecting on returning to duty, the officer said that the attack didn't initially change how she dealt with calls.
"I still want to provide a service to the public and we are a professional body so that professionalism is something that I try to continue in my work every day. Now I take more consideration to look out for early signs of aggression or having back up there if needed.
"I ask people to remember that we are not just the uniform, we are humans who want to go home to our families. No one wants to be assaulted as it is certainly not part of the job in my view. We are here to try and keep people in the community safe."
Assaults with injury have increased year-on-year from 516 for the period April 2018 to March 2019, to 911 for the period April 2021 to March 2022. From April 2022 to this year to date, there have been 923.
Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said that the number of assaults have doubled in the last five years which he puts down partly to increasing challenges that officers face in the community and that the PSNI have been encouraging officers to make sure the incidents are properly recorded.
"My message to the public would be never to take for granted the risks that police officers take every single day. Police officers go towards danger, they step into uncertainty and they do so to keep our communities safe and I do think we should all recognise that and not take it for granted," he said.
"These attacks are potentially symptomatic of a more violent society, partly linked to issues around mental health and regrettably we do see circumstances regularly where police officers become the focus for attacks, quite often from people they have gone to try and help."
ACC Singleton said that the PSNI will be analysing the data behind the figures and take steps to make sure that officers have access to all of the tools and equipment they need to keep themselves and the public safe.
Discussing the impact that the PSNI's budget has had on their ability to support officers in their role, ACC Singleton added that next year could be even more difficult for the service.
"We have to operate without a settled budget and the signs are that the situation will be even more challenging next year which creates pressures and limits the scope of what we would be able to do for officers.
"The health and safety of our officers has to be a priority and that includes when it comes to allocating our own budgets. Our officers are not only members of the community, they are also fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. They are human beings and with a human being comes human frailties.
"Some of the things our officers are exposed to will leave them with not only physical injuries but quite often emotional and psychological injuries as well. Our officers are not just numbers and we want to make sure our welfare reflects that."
Liam Kelly, Chair, Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said that attacks and assaults on officers are increasing in frequency, and that it is "wholly unacceptable".
“Violent, thuggish behaviour involving vicious physical attacks must be addressed. In my book, that means giving officers access to the tools to protect both themselves and victims caught up in violent outbursts," he said.
“Taser is a proven deterrent. It makes the would-be attacker think twice and in many instances, a violent confrontation is averted because of its presence, thus minimising the risk of potential serious assault and injury to our officers.
“Taser should be part of the toolkit for officers alongside verbal commands, their baton, PAVA irritant spray and firearm. All uses of police equipment carry a risk of causing injury to the assailant.
“Taser is proven to work and is clearly a less lethal option than having to resort to the use of a firearm. In 2022, due to the level of the threat being confronted with, on 440 occasions our officers felt it necessary to draw their firearm.
"We know of too many cases where officers were hospitalised with horrendous injuries."
"Some have been forced to retire through ill health. Scores of officers are unable to work as they recover at home. This means reduced levels of service to the public, which no one wants. It also places heavy pressure on colleagues who take on the additional workload.
“We have to see deterrents that make assailants think twice of spitting, biting, kicking and head-butting officers. Tougher sentencing by the Courts is urgently required."
A Policing Board spokesperson added: “Attacks on police officers are completely unacceptable, are condemned by the Board, and must be condemned right across the community.
"Over the last year, the Board has been concerned about the increasing number of assaults and attacks on officers and has questioned whether the current legislation regarding penalties for attacks and assaults properly reflects the risks and dangers officers can face in their service to the community.
"It is crucial that those who have been subject to attack receive the proper Occupational Health and Welfare support from the Police Service as being attacked is not anybody’s ‘normal day’ at work, nor should it be.
"The Board will continue discussions on this issue with the Chief Constable at the next Board meeting.”
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