It’s time we all just laid off our public services.
I’m talking about attacks of both kinds – figurative and literal.
Underfunded, understaffed and under-appreciated. But extensively overworked. The people in police and fire uniforms are – and I hate to use a cliché but some things merit one – everyday heroes.
It seems we only appreciate what our services do when it’s there in the spotlight. Firefighters put their lives on the line every day, as do police. Yet it took the tragedy at Grenfell Tower and several terrorist atrocities this year for us to recognise that.
And yes, unless holding them to account for serious wrongdoing, that includes the media.
Tabloids such as The Sun and the Mail have produced a string of scathing criticisms on these services in recent weeks. From having a pop at officers taking a 20 minute break to ride the dodgems while staffing a funfair, to the gall of one force highlighting the plague of sex trafficking through a campaign involving police wearing blue nail polish.
And while some may criticise them claiming they’re not doing their jobs, others take to more brutal attacks when they are.
I’m referring to violence and abuse of police officers, firefighters and ambulance workers. It happens everyday, and it’s abhorrent.
This week alone, firefighters in West Yorkshire were subjected to several attacks from members of the public. One delightful group of youngsters in Halifax were even so kind as to start a fire then throw bricks at the fire engine as it came to put it out.
Police officers have endured countless attacks from dangerous people while out on the beat. The Home Office released figures earlier this year that revealed one officer in West Yorkshire is attacked every day.
These people aren’t just robots in uniforms, they are parents, sons and daughters, friends, siblings, and most importantly, human beings.
Various campaigns have been led – the most notable, Protect the Protectors, championed by Halifax MP Holly Lynch. But it seems the message of “stop attacking our services you utter lowlives” has failed to sink in. It’s not hard to grasp really, basic human decency.
But what happens when the police officer you hooked in the jaw while she was arresting you for being drunk and disorderly in public is called to your home after a burglary? Or the firefighter you threw stones at is needed because your house is on fire? They do it anyway.
We never know when we’ll need our public services, but when we do they’ll be there. We are lucky to live in a society where these services are on hand and not rife with corruption. Instead, some repay them with the most thoughtless and despicable behaviour with which we wouldn’t even treat our enemies.
Police may not always get it right, and it’s understandable that emergencies can cause people to act out of character. But there’s never an excuse for violence.
It’s these people’s duty to do the best they can in keeping the peace, fighting crime and keeping us safe and well. It is ours to repay that with respect.
