Assaults on 43 police officers in seven days, says PSNI chief constable

Forty-three police officers have been assaulted in 30 separate incidents the past week, the PSNI’s chief constable has said.

Their injuries included broken fingers and a dislocated knee. Several officers were spat on, Simon Byrne said in a tweet.

The chief constable revealed that 18 people have been charged to date in connection with the assaults.

Separately, the PSNI announced last week it was to reduce staff numbers.

On Saturday, two police officers were attacked while investigating an incident in Portadown with one sustaining a broken finger and the second a dislocated knee.

In a seperate incident on Saturday, two officers were unable to continue their patrol duties after their car was rammed in Strabane.

The PSNI announced on Thursday that it would be reducing its staff numbers by 6%.

By March, there will be 309 fewer police officers and 115 fewer civilian staff.

The police service said it would not be recruiting new officers this year, so staff who leave the force will not be replaced.

The cuts will leave the PSNI with 6,700 officers, making it the smallest it has been since it was formed in 2001.

Victim Support NI’s chief executive Janice Bunting said the cuts were “hugely concerning” and could lead to fewer crimes being reported and investigations taking longer.