Suffolk Police Federation says officers continue to face abuse and more is needed to stop it
They're calling for better protection and greater deterrents
The chair of Suffolk Police Federation has described a continued rise in assaults on police officers as a "worrying trend" and called for further action to better protect frontline staff.
"It is still rising and it has to stop"
Darren Harris, who represents rank-and-file officers across the county, said he had hoped tougher sentencing powers for attacks on emergency workers would have helped reduce the number of assaults.
His comments follow figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request, which the Federation says show attacks on Suffolk officers increased during the last year.
Mr Harris said: "I would have hoped with the changes to legislation and the strengthening of sentencing for attacks on emergency workers that this would see a drop in that figure, but clearly it is still rising and it has to stop."
"Broken bones, broken skin, cuts, black eyes"
The Federation says officers continue to experience a range of assaults while carrying out their duties, from minor scuffles to more serious incidents causing significant injuries.
Mr Harris said officers had reported being subjected to spitting, punches and kicks, while some had suffered cuts, bruises and broken bones.
"We do get notified of all assaults on police officers," he said.
"We do contact those officers ranging from minor pushes and scuffles to one which I find really bad, which is spitting and being spat in the face, but also broken bones, broken skin, cuts, black eyes - those types of things that people shouldn't be subject to when you are just going to work."
Mr Harris said the impact extended beyond officers themselves and affected their families and loved ones.
"The families of those police officers, the loved ones, are those that they say goodbye to when they go to work," he said.
"Are they going to come home with cuts, bruises, broken bones? Are they going to get a phone call from the force to say your loved one is in the hospital and they need to receive treatment for an assault?"
He also suggested the threat of violence may be contributing to wider recruitment challenges facing policing.
"One of the answers may be that they don't want to be assaulted, spat at, kicked, punched at their place of work and they can go other places and earn similar money and face less risks," he said.
Mr Harris believes changing attitudes towards assaults on officers is key to reversing the trend.
"It's a culture thing that needs to change," he said.
"There needs to be stronger laws for it. There needs to be more protection for police officers. We need to make it socially unacceptable."
Suffolk Police has been approached for comment.