Assaults against police officers has declined in the Mid-Western region with numbers decreasing to below four in the 12 months leading up to March 2019 compared to 14 incidents in the same period the year before.
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Assaults include police officers getting bitten, hit, spat upon and bashed. The statistics come from the Bureau of Crime Research and Statistics.
Despite the decline, the Police Association of NSW (PANSW) said any number of assaults is still concerning.
"The job of tackling crime and maintaining public safety has - to a disturbing level - seen more and more assaults just as a consequence of the police going about doing the job of enforcing law and doing their job effectively," PANSW president Tony King said.
"A police officer doing their sworn duty and putting on the blue uniform should never make them a target for violence. That is and always will be totally unacceptable."
Mr King said although a decline in the Mudgee and Mid-Western figures is positive, any number of assaults is a concern.
"Variations in numbers of assaults on Police typically reflect the unpredictability of Police work. Any decline in the numbers of Police being assaulted is positive, however what we need to see is that becoming a trend across the State. The current overall volume of just below 50 assaults a week is unacceptable," he said.
Any decline in the numbers of Police being assaulted is positive, however what we need to see is that becoming a trend across the State. The current overall volume of just below 50 assaults a week is unacceptable.
- Tony King, Police Association of NSW.
It can take one incident of violence towards a police officer to have long lasting damage for that individual.
A Police Union member has spoken about the effect of violence on front line police officers.
An unnamed police officer has been in the force for 26 years, but one particularly vicious violent act against him and his partner has stuck with him, leaving him feeling self conscious.
"My partner and I were approached by someone who we think was drug affected and had mental health issues. We tried to calm him down by talking to him, but eventually he started swinging punches," the officer said.
"It was pretty intense there for a minute. I lost my front tooth and my partner got two broken fingers. Eventually I got a dental implant and the whole thing [all medical bills] cost about $80,000. I still feel embarrassed about the way I look. I am fortunate I haven't had any PTSD [Post traumatic stress disorder] from that incident. For many others it can be so bad they have to stop work.
Mr King has reminded communities that police officers are people too and their main concern is to keep the community safe.
"Most members of the community respect that these are women and men who are working for them, not against them. They are members of the community themselves: mums and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers," he said.
See how the rest of the region compare.
NSW Police Force echo this sentiment.
"Protecting the community can be challenging work, and police are often required to intervene in serious or dangerous situations," a NSW Police Spokesperson said.
"As a result it's not uncommon for officers to be assaulted and/or injured during the performance of their duties.
"The safety of police is of paramount considering and we ensure there is sufficient support available for those officers who require it," they said.
Numbers have risen in other areas around the region, with Dubbo Regional assaults almost doubling in the 12 months leading up to March 2019 compared to March 2018. Orange has also seen a significant increase in assault against a police officer.
Bathurst and Lithgow have both seen declines in assaults against a police officer according to the Bureau of Crime Research and statistics.
The perpetrators of the crime are usually reacting to a different charge according to Mr King.
"The fact is that people who senselessly attack police officers are committing a serious crime on top of whatever other laws they may be breaking," he said.
The PANSW president is hoping community leaders will start a conversation around the violence.
"I certainly hope that local community leaders, including politicians, lead the public debate in supporting and respecting the work the local police do," he said.
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