Complaints against officers

[Fedster + 1,307]

Head of Met Police claims rank and file is more concerned about other issues.

Commissioner Cressida Dick at the London Assembly

Date - 5th September 2018
By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle

 

The UK’s most senior officer says she fears issuing spit guards could increase the risks to officers rather than reduce them.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said she had not heard a request from frontline officers to use the devices until Federation branch chairman Ken Marsh raised the issue with the Home Secretary in May this year.

Mr Marsh however had raised the issue a year earlier at the previous Police Federation of England and Wales Conference.

But Comm Dick told politicians at the London Assembly today: “I’m interested to hear more from the Federation and my officers to see the prevalence of where it would have helped. My only concern is that most of the time when someone is spat at it’s spontaneous and it’s not going to help at all, the vast majority of cases.”

She added that trying to get a guard on someone’s head could make them react more violently than they otherwise would be. “It may make things worse not better,” she said.

Tory Susan Hall raised the issue of treatment for hepatitis C, which she said is stressful and “absolutely shocking” to go through for personnel and their families. When the commissioner said it is only a small number who have to go through the process the politician replied that the small number should still be spared the ordeal.

She said: “I find it so perverse that we will not issue spit guards to our officers on the street.

“The public needs to know it’s only if someone spits at them or bites them first that it will be put on.

“Given we’ve got 40,000 people in London alone who have hepatitis C alone, very often from the groups of people who will be in trouble with the police, I don’t understand why we don’t have them.

“There are 32 forces in the country that do use them including the BTP who are on the streets of London. Even if it saves one officer from getting hepatitis C on the streets of London it would be worth it.”

Asked later by Labour’s Andrew Dismore about potential legal action from officers over denial of personal protective equipment by the decision not to issue spit guards to the frontline, the commissioner said she doesn’t think there is a legal duty to issue them.

She had earlier raised legal and professional standards investigations over the use of spit guards in other force areas as a possible reason not to rush to introduce the devices.

View On Police Oracle

[Hyphen + 693]

What an idiotic argument...

[Radman + 2,163]

This is the problem, instead of condemning these individuals behaviour we are playing up to it by allowing for people to actively assault and obstruct officers...

"We can't give officers spit guards because it will just incite people to attack officers further."

Where has our backbone as a society gone?

I watched part of the interview and she didn't have an answer when BTPs use of spit guards was mentioned. 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Radman

[Growley + 2,436]

This doesn't sit well with me; not because of the stupid arguments, but because she built herself a reputation of backing officers on matters like this, and now it seems the tables have turned. 

[Zulu 22 + 4,569]

When, if ever, has Cressida Dick been spat at. The odious dangers seem to have gone over her head.😉

[sierragolf95 + 55]

Since my job doesn't allow the use of spit guards, my tactics are limited to strikes to the face, pressing their face into the ground/wall/the nearest solid object when people start spitting, I'm fairly sure that looks far worse than spit hoods, has a higher risk of serious injury and looks even worse. She seemed to be a very positive thinking person who was well liked by the cops when she first came in, now she has well and truly screwed the pooch and has probably severely hacked off a considerable amount of her officers. Even Tory MP's are grilling her for it, they'd be the last people I'd be expecting to stick up for cops.

Edited September 5, 2018 by David
Asterisked word sanitised

[Jt1 + 2]

The argument that the spit hood could make the situation worse is pretty poor in my opinion.

As a spit hood user. They should only be applied when full control of the individual has been gained and they are handcuffed to the rear. They may not want the hood applied but then I’m pretty sure that the officer didn’t want to get spat at.

[David + 4,981]

Quote

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said she had not heard a request from frontline officers to use the devices until Federation branch chairman Ken Marsh raised the issue with the Home Secretary in May this year.

Um, who of your frontline officers has access to you to request anything anyway?

[a-bothan-spy 81]

Horrendous. I’m glad I have mine.

[obsidian_eclipse + 1,202]

The argument that the spit hood could make the situation worse is pretty poor in my opinion.

As a spit hood user. They should only be applied when full control of the individual has been gained and they are handcuffed to the rear. They may not want the hood applied but then I’m pretty sure that the officer didn’t want to get spat at.

Oh no no no.. applying handcuffs could make someone more violent. You should never handcuff someone!