Concerns raised over emergency worker attacks in the West Midlands
Figures in the annual report showed a rise in offences against workers with 3,334 offences recorded in 2026
Calls have been made to protect all West Midlands emergency workers being subjected to violence and abuse.
Figures in the annual report of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster showed a rise in offences against workers with 3,334 offences recorded in 2026, 300 more than in 2024.
At a West Midlands Police and Crime Panel meeting, Councillor Ken Hawkins asked Mr Foster what was being done to protect paramedics, firefighters and police officers from violence and abuse.
Mr Foster said all workers subjected to any crime are urged to report them and added violence is ‘not part of the job’.
Councillor Hawkins said: “Emergency workers are at the forefront of a lot of violence and aggression whilst they are trying to serve us.
“But what more can be done to actually protect our emergency workers and ensure, when perpetrators are found, proper justice to help serve our emergency workers is made?”
Mr Foster said: “All emergency workers subjected to any form of violence, abuse or harassment of any sort are encouraged to report those matters and they do not in any way shape or form simply think that is part of the job.
“It is certainly not part of the job and it is important they do take the opportunities available to them to report all violence, aggression, abuse, harassment or any other criminal or anti-social behaviour.
“In addition to that, it’s extremely important that West Midlands Police take those reports seriously.
“They record the crime, pursue all reasonable lines of inquiry and whenever or wherever possible those individuals are brought to justice, they are held to account and face the consequences of their actions.
“It’s important as well that the individual emergency workers who are subjected to that sort of behaviour also have all of the help and support they are entitled to.
“We need our emergency service workers on the front line doing the fantastic and amazing job they do.
Jonathan Jardine, chief executive of the office of the West Midlands PCC, added: “There is some encouraging data around the outcome of prosecutions where there have been assaults on emergency service workers.
“In 2024, the outcome rate was around 60 per cent. It is not consistently well over 75 per cent for positive outcome rate.”