HC Deb 24 April 1958 vol 586 cc98-9W
Mr. Callaghan

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing the number of policemen injured on duty in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan force, in all years for 1938, 1939 and 1945 to date, and a similar table showing the number of crimes in which violence was used.

Mr. R. A. Butler

The numbers of members of the Metropolitan police granted sick leave in the years referred to, after being assaulted in the execution of their duty, are given in the first part of the following table.

Similar figures for other police forces in England and Wales are not available.

Comprehensive figures of crimes in which violence was used are not available; but the second part of the table shows the numbers of indictable offences classified as involving violence against the person which were known to the police in the years in question.

TABLE I
Year Metropolitan police officers granted sick leave as a result of assaults in the execution of their duty
1938 222
1939 185
1945 199
1946 149
1947 145
1948 138
1949 124
1950 130
1951 183
1952 159
1953 168
1954 155
1955 140
1956 198
1957 207
The figures relate to male officers only and include, as separate cases, any second or subsequent periods of sick leave attributable to a particular assault.

TABLE II
CRIMES OF VIOLENCE KNOWN TO THE POLICE IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Offence 1938 1939 1945 1946 1947
1. Murder 116 157 218 148 175
2. Attempted Murder 79 50 190 167 179
4. Manslaughter 172 155 217 151 138
5. Felonious Wounding 388 358 545 498 572
8. Malicious Wounding 1,602 1,805 2,737 2,510 2,908
9. Indictable Assaults 30 16 10 12 15
19. Rape 99 109 377 251 240
34/1. Robbery with Violence 287 265 1,033 804 842
34/2 and 3. Robbery and Assaults with intent to rob 117 137
TOTAL 2,773 2,915 5,327 4,658 5,206

Offence 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952
1. Murder 171 136 139 132 146
2. Attempted Murder 191 167 183 126 155
4. Manslaughter 138 131 176 176 233
5. Felonious Wounding 646 625 976 1,078 1,027
8. Malicious Wounding 3,547 3,705 4,201 4,445 4,873
9. Indictable Assaults 31 46 81 96 80
19. Rape 252 233 314 335 260
34/1. Robbery with Violence 978 860 812 633 790
34/2 and 3. Robbery and Assaults with intent to rob 123 130 209 167 212
TOTAL 6,077 6,033 7,091 7,188 7,776

Offence 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957
1. Murder 143 146 135 156 166
2. Attempted Murder 129 176 169 162 158
4. Manslaughter 158 138 122 142 147
5. Felonious Wounding 981 1,048 1,042 1,227 1,397
8. Malicious Wounding 5,111 5,425 5,884 7,039 8,192
9. Indictable Assaults 95 113 150 167 185
19. Rape 295 294 340 329 408
34/1. Robbery with Violence 754 604 577 730 921
34/2 and 3. Robbery and Assaults with intent to rob 226 208 246 235 273
TOTAL 7,892 8,152 8,665 10,187 11,847