Tayside Police authorities should challenge sheriffs who fail to jail those convicted of assaulting police officers, a committee has heard.
Carse of Gowrie councillor Peter Mulheron told the personnel sub-committee of Tayside Police Joint Board that they should not be afraid of challenging the bench when they felt the sheriffs had got it wrong.
He reassured councillors that the men and women who hand down sentences in 2010 are “nothing like” the Sheriff of Nottingham from the latest cinema blockbuster Robin Hood.
“If you’ve been to see the film Robin Hood then the sheriffs are nothing like that nowadays,” he said, to chuckles from his fellow members.
“We should take away the fear of sheriffs.
“Surely the time has come when the board should write to the sheriff and ask him why he did that.
“He’s a public servant and it’s about time we started asking questions of people in that position. If we are of the opinion that we are being unfairly treated then we should look at it.”
Fellow Perth and Kinross councillor and depute convener Archie Maclellan had raised the case of an assault on a Perth officer, in which the perpetrator had received a fine rather then a custodial term.Level of protection”Sheriffs expect our officers to be in the court for safety and protection, but they don’t extend the same level of protection to officers when they are assaulted,” he said.
“I think we should be looking for more custodial sentences for these offences.”
Force director of personnel and development Moira Docherty said the issue of policing the courts was regularly “on the agenda” in discussion between police and the sheriffs.
“It’s something that the chief constable and the assistant chief constables speak with the sheriffs about on a regular basis,” she said.
“Because obviously the more officers we have engaged in providing security in court then the fewer there are out in the community.”
Committee convener Ian Mackintosh added that having officers in court was a cost to the force, and said he would take up the issue at a national meeting of police board conveners.
In general, police absences due to assault were very low with most injuries at work occurring because of slips, falls and back injuries.
In a report to the committee, chief constable Justine Curran released statistics showing that some 2740 working days were lost because of police officers’ absence from duty during the quarter from January to March.
The figure for civilian staff was 1512.