Attacks on Police

Ahh, Criminological theory! My area! :p

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Originally Posted by Treads

Knowing you WILL go to gaol for assaulting an emergency/health worker could be a deterrent.

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This is a pretty important statement right here, although you can take away everything after gaol.
Keep in mind my understanding is purely theoretical but it's all peer reviewed so it's not liking I'm getting this off the back of my Milo cereal :p
Research has suggested that it's not the harshness of the punishment that has the most impact on an individuals decision to engage in offending/deviant behaviour, it's the certainty of being caught.
Some examples:
Punishment for drink driving is 100 lashes in town square and you get your nuts chopped off, but it's poorly policed and no-one ever gets done. Is this going to stop anyone? Probably not.
Punishment for drink driving is a $xxxxx fine, jail time capped at 10 years, loss of license, and it's incredibly well policed, people get done every single day.
Which one do you think will make the most difference? ;)

FWIW, I think assaulting any emergency services worker/officer/whatever deserves a harsher punishment to a degree, but not to ridiculous level.
People who have a whinge about police using force to restrain individuals have obviously never tried to restrain someone off their chops.
A classic example of this was the fuss about the Sydney Mardi-Gras incident, based on a whopping 8 seconds of video or something similarly revealing (not). It's only when the rest of the video about the individuals actions in the 20 minutes or so leading up to it were released that the hounds were quietened down somewhat.
Cheers
Muppet

I dont think anybody means make it a capitol offense although the yanks have made it federal offense just abit more deterrent to show do not accept it for anybody but particuarly police/emergency workers:angrylock:

There are already plenty of laws about assault, so I agree we don't need more laws, but we do need an attitude in society that certain acts are simply unacceptable. Peer pressure is important. For example, even most crims would agree that bashing an old lady is unacceptable. Assaulting other people should be seen the same way. Unortunately, violent movies and games have made violence seem more commonplace, when actually, it's not.
We should keep it in perspective though. Australia is a relatively safe society, particularly compared with the USA, for example. We should not go down that path.

Perhaps if we start enforcing responsible service of alchahol there would be less ****ed tools punching on a t 3am. Why do they even make people do rsa courses then let them serve shots to ****ed idiots pushing them over the edge. Stop serving and kick them out if they have a problem with not being served. They may be on the street but hopefully still with a clear enough mind not to belt a cop.

I agree that ALL assaults or physical violence should be treated seriously, not just coppers, ambo's, emgency workers, nurses etc, but ALL of us, we are all humans.
Of all these the police have the powers and the best and approved methods available to protect themselves. Why is it we always hear them say when they have to use lethal force (death to the perpetrator) "I was only doing my job", but when they get hit that is considered NOT part of the job, not that they should expect it, but it surely comes with the territory, (the job).
If we didn't have problem people in society we would not need a police force.
Before retirement I was a Fitter, that job meant I got dirty hands and clothes every day, it was part of the job, I liked what I did so I did not fell the need to complain.
As far as I know not one person who became a Policeman was ever held at gunpoint and told "you will be a cop"!. There was, as with all of us a career choice, and some can do it others will opt to leave the chosen path and get a cleaner/tamer career, life is not always fair.
I feel sorry for a soldier serving in the theatre of war, he generally has less choices, and is always certain that the "other guys", or "dickheads" as our policeman likes to think of them, the 90%, will be out to get him.
That comment from our policeman maybe sums it up, I think is how a lot of our "new world" police regard the rest of society, and in a lot of cases use their powers to treat us accordingly, no wonder they can "sense" a lack of support from the people they swear to "serve and protect", there is a "them and us" thing happening.
I support harsher penalties for ALL physical assaults on ALL people.

We only deal with between 10% of the population in a drunk/drugged state on a regular basis. These are the one's I termed as "dickheads"; however my estimate would be that 90% of these people drop everything and do what we instruct them - its' that small percentage that cause the issues.

So our last poster doesn't believe Ambos and Nurses should be supported with harsher penalties dished out when they get assaulted on the job?

Very interesting thread. Good to see members of the constabulary commenting in this thread giving their perspective.
My opinion of police changed markedly recently, on the 26th, when a police constable told me she would have shot me. I had not consumed alcohol. I was not violent. I had done nothing wrong.
For this to happen, our society must be really ****ed. I think we are exposed to too much American culture and think it is the norm.

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Originally Posted by Treads

We only deal with between 10% of the population in a drunk/drugged state on a regular basis. These are the one's I termed as "dickheads"; however my estimate would be that 90% of these people drop everything and do what we instruct them - its' that small percentage that cause the issues.

So our last poster doesn't believe Ambos and Nurses should be supported with harsher penalties dished out when they get assaulted on the job?

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Sorry to hear you think I am less deserving of justice.

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Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

My opinion of police changed markedly recently, on the 26th, when a police constable told me she would have shot me. I had not consumed alcohol. I was not violent. I had done nothing wrong.

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For police to tell you she would have shot you, she must have thought that someone was at risk of death or serious harm. What was the situation?

Happy Days.

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Originally Posted by Disco Muppet

it's not liking I'm getting this off the back of my Milo cereal

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Nah that's where cops get there college training. They dont become real police until a few years on the job. Part of the problem is they dont realise this UNTIL a few years on the job and no end of telling them will they believe it. Most think they leave college as police. There is good reason why NSW have there probationary constables sitting in the back seat for the first 12 months.

Happy Days