§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of allegations that police officers in Cumbria have used oleoresin capsicum in an inappropriate way; and if he will make a statement; [44848]
(2) what reports he has received from the police service on the use of oleoresin capsicum to (a) make arrests that they would not otherwise have been able to make, (b) resolve peacefully potentially violent incidents and (c) enhance the effectiveness of women officers in dealing with incidents; [44847]
(3) what evidence he has collated on police officer injury rates following the introduction of incapacitating sprays; and if he will give such figures as are available on a police force basis. [44849]
§ Mr. MichaelCS sprays were first carried by police officers during operational trials in 16 forces between 1 March and 31 August 1996. Since then, an increasing number of forces have adopted the spray, and it is currently carried by officers in 40 forces in England and Wales. No force has introduced incapacitant sprays containing oleoresin capsicum.
68WIt was found during the trials that there was little difference between trial and control locations in the risk officers experienced of sustaining injury requiring hospital attention. Officers in trial locations were slightly less likely than those in control areas to sustain other, more minor, injuries. The officers themselves were clear that carrying CS sprays significantly improved their safety.
There has been no subsequent evaluation carried out centrally of the effect of the introduction of CS sprays on officer injury rates. Overall statistics of assaults on officers may be affected by many factors. Statistics for 1995–96 and 1996–97 are as follows:
1995–96 Fatal assaults Serious assaults Other assaults Total Avon and Somerset 0 17 360 377 Bedfordshire 0 51 163 214 Cambridgeshire 0 7 53 60 Cheshire 0 23 632 655 City of London 0 0 28 28 Cleveland 0 6 116 122 Cumbria 0 2 144 146 Derbyshire 0 6 303 309 Devon and Cornwall 0 11 363 374 Dorset 0 6 82 88 Durham 0 13 200 213 Dyfed-Powys 0 4 64 68 Essex 0 15 133 148 Gloucestershire 0 5 88 93 Greater Manchester 0 47 712 759 Gwent 0 7 109 116 Hampshire 0 15 348 363 Hertfordshire 0 4 39 43 Humberside 0 8 235 243 Kent 0 2 217 219 Lancashire 0 108 272 380 Leicestershire 0 11 160 171 Lincolnshire 0 4 92 96 Merseyside 0 50 783 833 Metropolitan Police 1 78 3,023 3,102 Norfolk 0 3 237 240 North Wales 0 11 187 198 North Yorkshire 0 8 95 103 Northamptonshire 0 1 219 220 Northumbria 0 27 550 577 Nottinghamshire 0 9 349 358 South Wales 0 7 512 519 South Yorkshire 0 9 172 181 Staffordshire 0 9 275 284 Suffolk 0 1 127 128 Surrey 0 4 178 182 Sussex 0 2 391 393 Thames Valley 0 7 402 409 Warwickshire 0 6 164 170 West Mercia 0 2 230 232 West Midlands 0 208 565 773 West Yorkshire 0 14 522 536 Wiltshire 0 5 112 117 Total 1 833 14,006 14,840
69W
1996–97 Fatal assaults Serious assaults Other assaults Total assaults Avon and Somerset 0 9 312 321 Bedfordshire 0 2 180 182 Cambridgeshire 0 46 54 100 Cheshire 0 15 579 594 City of London 0 0 32 32 Cleveland 0 1 103 104 Cumbria 0 5 156 161 Derbyshire 0 5 295 300 Devon and Cornwall 0 5 409 414 Dorset 0 4 88 92
1996–97 Fatal assaults Serious assaults Other assaults Total assaults Durham 0 4 180 184 Dyfed-Powys 0 13 59 72 Essex 0 1 132 133 Gloucestershire 0 1 100 101 Greater Manchester 0 31 724 755 Gwent 0 8 176 184 Hampshire 0 8 359 367 Hertfordshire 0 2 75 77 Humberside 0 5 250 255 Kent 0 4 210 214 Lancashire 0 82 254 336 Leicestershire 0 2 218 220 Lincolnshire 0 1 121 122 Merseyside 0 46 856 902 Metropolitan Police 0 421 2,859 3,280 Norfolk 0 15 275 290 North Wales 0 4 150 154 North Yorkshire 0 3 84 87 Northamptonshire 0 0 157 157 Northumbria 0 17 637 654 Nottinghamshire 0 6 378 384 South Wales 0 4 422 426 South Yorkshire 0 7 228 235 Staffordshire 0 11 242 253 Suffolk 0 1 115 116 Surrey 0 4 200 204 Sussex 0 3 390 393 Thames Valley 0 12 388 400 Warwickshire 0 6 189 195 West Mercia 0 10 210 220 West Midlands 0 51 1,008 1,059 West Yorkshire 0 23 594 617 Wiltshire 0 3 139 142 Total 0 901 14,587 15,488 Notes:
- 1. Serious assaults are those for which the charge would be under sections 18 and 20 Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Other assaults are those for which the charge would be under section 47 Offence Against the Persons Act, section 38 Offences Against the Person Act, sections 51(1) and 51(3) Police Act 1964 and section 39 Criminal Justice Act 1988
- 2. Figures for 1997–98 are not yet available