Fifty-eight officers injured in vehicle rammings in last year

At least 58 police officers have been injured after their official vehicles were deliberately rammed, the PSNI has said.

The officially recorded injuries were sustained in 40 rammings in the calendar year to November 30.

However, the PSNI says the true total of officers hurt may be higher as individuals may have opted not to report their injuries and simply seek treatment themselves.

Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: “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.”

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.

Mr Singleton added: “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 chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, said the figures were “shocking and unacceptable” as members put their lives at risk during their work.

Mr Kelly added: “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.”

More than £400,000 has been spent on repairing police vehicles damaged as a result of being rammed in the past five years, as the PSNI deals with ongoing funding concerns.

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Mr Singleton said: “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.

He 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.”