Number of assaults on police officers still ‘unacceptable’, area commander says

THE NUMBER of assaults against police officers in Shetland continue to be at an “unacceptable level”.

That is the view of the isles’ new area commander chief inspector Stuart Clemenson, who spoke at a meeting of the Shetland community safety and resilience board on Thursday.

He said: “An assault against a police officer is an assault against society”.

Board vice chairman Allison Duncan said assaults against officers were “totally unacceptable” and asked whether much working time is lost as a result.

The meeting heard that most instances do not result in injury, as it include offences like shoving, though some officers do end up requiring hospital treatment.

Meanwhile Shetland Central member Moraig Lyall questioned if Clemenson felt the public’s attitude to police have changed after negative media coverage elsewhere in the country.

The area commander acknowledged that the force can be ‘love or hate’ for some person, but he said “the support for policing in my mind has not changed”.

He added that most assaults against police occur after people have been drinking, and it is rarely premeditated.