ASSAULTS on West Mercia Police officers increased by 12 per cent in North Worcestershire between October and December 2020 when compared to the previous three months.
Figures show that officers were assaulted on 37 separate occasions compared to 33 between July and September 2020.
This despite having a November lockdown and the force seeing an overall reduction in crime.
Officer assaults have been steadily increasing over the last five years.
In 2018/19 there were 549 frontline officers assaulted across West Mercia and 675 in the following year.
In the first three quarters of 2020, 489 police officers were assaulted, despite the most stringent restrictions on movement the country has experienced in recent history.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “These statistics, once again, make very worrying reading.
“At a time when the country has been subject to the strictest restrictions on movement seen since the war, and at a time when overall recorded crime is at its lowest for many years.
“The statistics have reinforced my support for tougher sentencing for the minority that assault frontline workers, and to send a clear message that this behaviour won’t be tolerated.”
