North Yorkshire charity offers support to officers injured in riots

The Police Treatment Centre is based in Harrogate but helps staff from forces across the Country

Author: Kathy GreenPublished 7th Aug 2024

Police officers who have been injured in the riots are being offered mental and physical support at a centre in Harrogate.

Staff at the treatment centre say they have already been contacted by a number of forces looking for help for their staff who've been targeted in the violence.

Patrick Cairns is the Chief Executive Officer at the charity: "You've probably seen pictures of officers collapsed against a wall, they've been physically assaulted and that sort of thing stays with you and perhaps forever."

"Some police officers, police staff members are not terribly good at looking after themselves, and asking for help, so that can be where it starts, you asking for help, if you have colleagues around you, who you've identified as needing help then nudge them in that direction."

He says officers have put in a heroic effort as they try to deal with the wave of Summer violence: "They've got on with it, there has been many of them who have come to the fore, who cancelled rest days and leave because it's required a massive effort in terms of the numbers."

Sir Keir Starmer told his senior ministers at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting that "99.9% of people across the country want their streets to be safe and to feel safe in their communities".

He added the Government "will take all necessary action to bring the disorder to an end".

Justice minister Heidi Alexander told broadcasters on Tuesday morning that courts "could possibly" begin sitting "through the evening, the night, at weekends" in order to prosecute rioters swiftly.

The additional courts protocol, which was created in the aftermath of the 2011 riots, could be invoked in areas where police and prosecuting chiefs feel it is needed.

Ms Alexander said some 567 additional prison spaces would soon come into use to deal with rioters.

Approximately 6,000 specialist officers will be at the ready by the end of the week for the so-called "standing army" of police announced by Sir Keir on Monday to deal with disorder.

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