Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

Rise in vicious attacks sparks need for tourniquets used by army.

Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith providing a demonstration (YouTube: HeartFM)

Date - 20th September 2018
By - Sophie Garrod - Police Oracle

 

Military-grade tourniquets are being supplied to every officer in one force as the severity of assaults against them increases.

All Devon and Cornwall officers and PCSOs are undergoing training to learn how to apply the life-saving kit to themselves and will be expected to carry one as part of their personal protective equipment.

The Combat Application Tourniquets, which are also used by the British Army, can be quickly applied using one hand and will be carried in equipment vests.

Devon and Cornwall Police Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith told Police Oracle it was important to opt for this model in particular as officers will be able to tend to their injuries if they are single-crewed.

“The tourniquets were chosen as they can be applied with one hand, he said. “An officer would never be able to get in the car if they were on their own.”

He also explains there has been some nasty incidents over the past year leaving officers with long-lasting injuries – and one suffering from an arterial bleed two years ago - highlighting the need for tourniquets.

Last year four officers were seriously injured in the force: one had their nose ripped open, another had their leg and ankle broken after it was stamped on whilst a further also has their leg broken and one suffered from a dislocated knee.

The kit will also help victims given the rise in knife crime, Supt Drummond-Smith added.

Official statistics released in July showed police in England and Wales recorded 40,147 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year ending March 2018, a 16 per cent increase compared with the previous 12 months.

This week all forces in England and Wales are taking part in the week-long crackdown codenamed Operation Sceptre.

Devon and Cornwall Police is also planning an uplift in taser in a bid to reduce assaults on its officers, however Supt Drummond-Smith said it is not the perfect solution.

“Unfortunately, as with all officers in the UK, there were quite a lot of assaults last year – we had over 700," he said.

“But we are having an uplift in taser. We are moving to 85 per cent of officers carrying taser, which means all suitable officers will be offered training.

“We think it will reduce assaults, but taser is not a panacea. It may reduce assaults, but it won’t eliminate them, and all the officers who suffered from serious injuries last year were in fact carrying them.”

Andy Berry, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Police Federation,welcomed the introduction of the new first-aid kit and said it “makes perfect sense.”

There has been a rise in the number of assaults on officers in the force, however, the force is not good at collecting the data, according to Mr Berry.

He added: “The data that has been collected shows an increase, but it’s difficult to say whether or not this is down to more officers reporting incidents.

“If you look around the country there has been some nasty assaults.

“Why would members of the public want to assault an emergency service worker trying to do their job? It’s ridiculous.”

On the passing of the Assaults on Emergency Service Workers Bill, he said: “I hope that the courts will use that and the CPS. It is incumbent on them to push for greater use of their powers - but time will tell.

“Officers can be sceptical of the changes, but it is a tool that is there and the role of the Fed needs to be examining whether or not the sentencing options are being used.

“Will it put offenders off? I do not know. So much is done on the scale of not thinking.”

View On Police Oracle

[Ether + 1,401]

Wonder where the training came from for this

[Growley + 2,436]

I know of something better for preventing knife injuries..

[obsidian_eclipse + 1,202]

I appreciate you can do it one handed and all, but how does it stop someone repeatedly stabbing you. Or do they abide by some one stab policy.

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

There is a limit to the equipment  that can be carried. Perhaps the best example is the kit in Motorway vehicles which has dictated the type of vehicle that can carry that kit. Should you carry splints, oxygen, 2 gallons of water, personal fire extinguishers, etc, etc, etc.

What if the assailant does not comply with the rules as mentioned by Obsidian. What happens if you have been stabbed in both arms, chest and leg.

The military have them, and morphine injections available for a very good reason.

[Hyphen + 693]

3 minutes ago, obsidian_eclipse said:

I appreciate you can do it one handed and all, but how does it stop someone repeatedly stabbing you. Or do they abide by some one stab policy.

I did scratch my head a little, if you’re alone and get stabbed or a serious bleed then you need to hope that the person attacking you leaves you to it.

Do criminals in D and C have a rule book or code of conduct. ‘sorry for stabbing you old chap, I’ll leave you to use your tourniquet now’.

I suppose it’s better than nothing, I do wish they were issued in my force. I think things like this along with proper trauma bandages should be carried. There’s no excuse not to.

[David + 4,981]

Yet again, serious questions have to be asked how we have got into this position that such items even need to be considered, let alone issued.

[Ether + 1,401]

2 hours ago, David said:

Yet again, serious questions have to be asked how we have got into this position that such items even need to be considered, let alone issued.

Put the money into routine arming and allow those firearms to be used when there is a risk to a life, which a knife clearly poses. Natural selection.

[Ether + 1,401]

2 hours ago, Zulu 22 said:

There is a limit to the equipment  that can be carried. Perhaps the best example is the kit in Motorway vehicles which has dictated the type of vehicle that can carry that kit. Should you carry splints, oxygen, 2 gallons of water, personal fire extinguishers, etc, etc, etc.

What if the assailant does not comply with the rules as mentioned by Obsidian. What happens if you have been stabbed in both arms, chest and leg.

The military have them, and morphine injections available for a very good reason.

The military also carry sufficient firepower to stop a threat when carrying such items. 

Trauma bandages should be issued to all police officers with a trauma kit in each vehicle. 

Less time on banter, Diversity and hurt feeling courses and more on life saving skills would actually make a difference to people. 

[SimonT + 1,185]

Guns for officers, no. 

Taser, no. 

Double crew as standard, no. 

More officers, no. 

Significant deterrent from criminal justice system, no. 

A literal sticking plaster for the problem, YES! 

This is an answer to a problem that either doesn't exist, or a completely inferior solution to a problem that does.