A total of 58 police officers have reported injuries after being involved in incidents where police vehicles have been deliberately rammed this year, the PSNI has revealed.
According to police, the injuries were sustained in 40 ‘rammings’ recorded in the year up to November 30 2024, however they say this statistic may not fully reflect the true extent of injuries sustained by police personnel.
Incidents of police vehicles being rammed occur more frequently in urban areas such as Belfast and Derry city, and also in border areas, as offenders attempt to flee from police.
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Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton explained: “The number of officers injured in these ramming incidents may well be higher than the number of formal reports made to our Health and Safety Branch as many officers opt not to report and simply seek treatment themselves.
“In fact, many individuals who sustain injuries such as whiplash or sprains, often opt to remain on duty and to continue to serve their communities. Most vehicle ramming incidents occur as a result of individuals attempting to evade police or avoid arrest. This can be for a range of offences, from no insurance to more serious offending like robbery or assault.
"In these cases offenders are, in essence, using their vehicle as a weapon against us, and this is a scary and traumatising experience for any police officer to go through. It is a testament to the courage of our people that they will put themselves in situations where they are at risk, in order to protect communities from harm.”
The Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, added: “The 58 officers injured in vehicle ramming incidents so far this year is shocking and unacceptable. Our men and women go out to do their best for this entire community. For scores of them to be viciously targeted by those seeking to evade arrest or questioning is a worrying trend that must be stamped out.
"These reported figures are the tip of the iceberg and I would encourage all officers involved in such incidents, no matter the circumstances, to formally report what occurred so a true picture of the extent of this issue can be obtained.
“Officers are putting their lives at risk and they deserve to know that what they continue to experience in the course of their duties will not be tolerated. The courts have a role here to let would-be offenders know that if they drive at officers and attempt to inflict serious harm, they can expect the toughest sentences to be handed down."
DCC Singleton added: “In addition to the impact on our people, there is also a clear financial cost to these incidents as well. Police vehicles are often seriously damaged, some beyond repair. Indeed, in the past five years more than £400,000 has been spent on repairing police vehicles damaged as a result of being rammed.
“Policing in Northern Ireland is currently facing a well-documented financial crisis, and this cost obviously impacts on our ever decreasing policing budget. Finally, I need those who would choose to deliberately ram a police vehicle to understand the potentially horrific consequences of their actions. The reality is that you could kill someone.
"I also need the community to understand and appreciate the role and the duties that their police officers undertake on a daily basis on their behalf to keep them safe. Police officers are members of the community doing a job; a vocation to protect the public and they all work incredibly hard to protect and serve communities across Northern Ireland.
"As police officers, we come to work knowing we could be faced with difficult and dangerous situations, however no one should ever have to accept a scenario in which their vehicle being rammed and them potentially being injured or even killed as a result is a reality of their work life. It simply wouldn’t happen in any other profession.”
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