Hansard

Assaults on Police

Volume 506: debated on Friday 26 February 2010

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Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have received (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) slight injuries in the course of a crime involving a (i) gun and (ii) knife in each year since 1997. (317765)

Alan Johnson

The latest chapter on offences involving firearms in England and Wales was published on 21 January 2010 and available at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0110.pdf

Text table 2c of the chapter shows offences recorded by the police in which a police officer on duty was injured by a firearm (excluding air weapons) resulting in fatal, serious or slight injury between 1998-99 and 2008-09. This is reproduced in Table A, and extended to include offences recorded in 1997-98.

It is not possible to provide data on offences involving knives in which a police officer has been slightly or seriously injured. The knife crime database covers only the most serious offences and does not hold information on severity of injury or the occupation of victims.

Available information on knife crimes resulting in fatal injury is taken from the Homicide Index and relates to currently recorded homicides in England and Wales where the victim was an on-duty police officer and the method of killing was sharp instrument. The data in Table B are as at 24 November 2009 and are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

Table A: Offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in which a police officer on duty was injured by a firearm, excluding air weapons, 1997-98 to 2008-09

Total

Fatal injury

Serious injury1

Slight injury

1997-98

6

—

3

3

1998-99

11

—

—

11

1999-2000

10

—

—

10

2000-01

7

—

5

2

2001-02

10

—

—

10

2002-03

12

—

1

11

2003-04

14

1

3

10

2004-05

23

—

2

21

2005-06

23

1

6

16

2006-07

21

—

3

18

2007-08

24

1

3

20

2008-09

9

—

1

8

1 A serious injury is one which necessitated detention in hospital or involved fractures, concussion, severe general shock, penetration by a bullet or multiple shot wounds.

Table B: Currently recorded homicides1 where the victim was a police officer killed in the course of duty and method of killing was sharp instrument2: England and Wales, 1997-98 to 2008-093

Year3

Number

1997-98

—

1998-99

—

1999-2000

—

2000-01

—

2001-02

—

2002-03

—

2003-04

—

2004-05

1

2005-06

—

2006-07

—

2007-08

1

2008-09

—

1 As at 24 November 2009; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

2 Includes knives and other sharp instruments.

3 Offences are shown according to the year in which they were initially recorded as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made.

Source:

Homicide Index (Home Office)