Hundreds of north-east police officers are being assaulted each year, including being stabbed, slashed, bitten and spat at while on duty.
Injuries include stab wounds, bites, concussions and burns. Other assaults include being spat at and being slashed.
In 2024, 446 assaults were recorded on police officers across the North East Division, while there were 472 in 2023 and 488 in 2022.
Shadow justice secretary and north-east MSP Liam Kerr has called for the maximum prison sentence for criminals who assault emergency staff to be doubled after new statistics show more than 400 attacks are being carried out on the region’s force each year.
Mr Kerr described the figures as “sickening” and reiterated his party’s pledge to double the maximum prison sentence for criminals who assault emergency staff.
He said: “It’s sickening so many police officers are attacked while serving the people of the North East.
“The SNP’s current approach in effectively banning short-term prison sentences has meant individuals who assault these key workers are dodging jail.
“Our police officers are already being starved of the resources they need to do their job.
“They do not deserve to be subjected to violent attacks, many of which will have occurred while trying to help the very people who end up assaulting them.
“These offenders should feel the full force of the law which is why the Scottish Conservatives want to double the maximum sentence for assaulting emergency service workers.
“It is vitally important that no matter what the situation, our key workers are fully protected, which includes the Scottish Government providing police officers with the protection of body worn cameras.”
Get all the latest Aberdeen news and headlines sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter.
From breaking news in and around the city, to traffic and travel and health, we’ve got you covered.
The manually created newsletter arrives every day at around 4pm, giving you a round up of the most important stories we’ve covered that day.
To sign up, simply click this link here.
And if you aren’t already, make sure you join the conversation over on our Facebook Groups and Aberdeen Live Instagram.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Attacks on police officers are despicable, which is why the independent courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with assaults.
“Our record funding of £1.55 billion for Police Scotland this year has enabled a contract to be awarded to implement body worn video for officers and staff across the country and the Chief Constable has committed to work at pace to ensure this happens as soon as possible.
“The funding also means Police Scotland will take on more recruits in 2024-25 than at any time since 2013.
“In 2023 Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority set out that a figure of 16,500–16,600 police officers would offer a sustainable and effective operating model to keep communities safe.
“The Chief Constable has stated there were 16,603 police officers as at November 4, 2024.”