125 police injured in training
West Midlands Police have launched a probe into how more than 125 officers were injured during training last year – double the number hurt in the previous 12 months.
West Midlands Police have launched a probe into how more than 125 officers were injured during training last year – double the number hurt in the previous 12 months.
Some officers have been hurt during personal safety training (PST), which teaches officers on how to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
Health and safety rules mean police have to report any injury.
West Midlands Police Chief Constable Sir Paul Scott-Lee said there had been 125 training injuries to to police officers in 2006, compared to 54 in 2005.
So far this year, there have been 67. Sir Paul said a "robust" health and safety culture would lead to a fall in the number of accidents and attacks on officers and staff.
He said an "accident and assault analysis group" had been launched to examine figures for accidents and identify trends or hotspots.
A "working group" has also been launched to look at the number of injuries sustained during PST. Pc Paul Tonks, of the West Midlands Police Federation, said PST involved two-and-a half days of intensive training and was "like a martial art".
The report also revealed that more than 360 West Midlands Police officers have been attacked by yobs this year.