Fears the risk to police officers is greater than ever before

5,000 police officers, who died in the line of duty, remembered in Lincoln

Author: Aaron RenfreePublished 27th Sep 2021

We're being told the risk to police officers is greater than ever before.

It's as the country comes together to remember those who died in the line of duty.

The annual National Police Memorial Day event took place at Lincoln Cathedral yesterday.

Officials, dignitaries, bereaved families and Home Secretary Priti Patel paid tribute.

Bobby Knowles husband, Terry Glister, died while serving in Norfolk, she said it's important he's never forgotten.

"He was killed in Norfolk in 1987 and he was 43.

"He and an other officer from Suffolk were taking an unmarked police car to have it’s radio checked and a skip lorry hit them and killed them instantly.

"I went to the first National Memorial Day and it means a great deal to our family.

"My son became a police officer as well and carried on his father’s tradition, so to us it’s a great day and to come here to Lincoln, which is beautiful anyway, I think is just great.

"It's lovely to remember him and that’s why I wear his medal."

National Police Memorial Day

John Apter is chair of the National Police Memorial Day trust, he said officers face a lot of risks.

"Policing is dangerous, it’s unpredictable.

"Every life lost is one too many, but thankfully police officers dying in the execution of their duty is still relatively rare, but being assaulted and attacked on duty is not so rare.

"We have over 30,000 assaults every year that police officers face, ranging from very serious life-threatening assaults through to what some people would describe as lower level, but every assault carries risk with it.

"So the risk to police officers is greater than ever and we have to make sure that we look after our colleagues and when colleagues make that ultimate sacrifice, it’s ensuring that their memory lives on and their families are supported by the policing family."

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