Police hurt in car ramming

Police hurt in car ramming

8 January 2025

LOCAL police officers are among 58 across Northern Ireland who have been injured when their vehicles have been deliberately rammed while on duty.

The latest incident in the Newry, Mourne and Down area came on Christmas Eve and while not all so-called rammings have been formally reported, the Police Federation believes the 58 officers who have been injured province-wide represents “just the tip of the iceberg”.

News of the number of PSNI vehicles being rammed comes as concern grows locally about officers being assaulted, abused and spat on while on duty protecting the public.

There have been a total of 40 ramming incidents across the province over the past five years with the estimated cost to the public purse in the region of £400,000.

Five incidents were reported across the local council area.

Last week, officers who assisted Coastguards during an incident at Newcastle’s Central Promenade were spat on.

The increase on attacks on police officers was discussed at a recent meeting of the district’s Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said those who choose to deliberately ram a police vehicle need to understand the potentially horrific consequences of their actions. 

He said the reality is that they could kill someone.

Police say the statistics of 40 rammings may not fully reflect the true extent of injuries sustained by police personnel.

Mr Singleton said the number of officers injured may well be higher than the number of formal reports made to the PSNI’s  Health and Safety Branch.

He said many individuals who sustain injuries such as whiplash or sprains, often opt to remain on duty and continue to serve their communities.

Mr Singleton said most vehicle ramming incidents occurred 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.”

He said it was “testament to the courage of police that they will put themselves in situations where they are at risk in order to protect communities from harm”.

Mr Singleton added: “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.”

Police Federation chairman Liam Kelly said the ramming incident figures were “shocking and unacceptable”.

He continued: “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.”

Mr Kelly added: “Officers are putting their lives at risk and 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.” 

Mournes councillor Jill Truesdale — who is a member of the district’s Policing and Community Safety Partnership — said the organisation had learned about the the rise in attacks on police officers carrying out their jobs.

“This most certainly is not part of the job and should never be expected to be such,” she declared.

“To hear of an assault on the Coastguard is as deplorable and this was the third similar incident in Newcastle within a matter of weeks with police assaulted while attempting to keep the public safe.”

Cllr Truesdale said it was clear from NI Policing Board data that the level of assaults against police officers in Northern Ireland was significantly higher proportionately when compared to other services across the UK. 

“In Newry Mourne and Down we have a disproportionate number of injured officers through ‘ramming’ incidents. Not only is the cost to repair the vehicles substantial, but the impact on multiple officers is significant,” she said.

Cllr Truesdale added: “Serving members of all the emergency services are highly trained individuals and just one assault can remove all that skill for sometimes months, not to mention the resultant trauma that can stay for the rest of their life.

“There is no easy solution to this issue. This will take time and a well-rounded multi-disciplinary approach working collaboratively with politicians to support upcoming legislation and all of us calling out these utterly abhorrent acts of aggression and violence.”