Shropshire Star comment: We must stop abuse of 999 staff

As a society, we must maintain a sense of right and wrong.

While we will differ on politics or religion, while we might have different aspirations or abilities; some basic rules apply to us all. And foremost among those is to treat others with respect.

999 crews who put themselves in the line of fire should always be shown due deference. Their job is to save lives and to keep us safe. On a daily basis, they perform everyday miracles and save us from harm.

In every town and every street, there will be an individual or family who will have first-hand experience of a blue light crew. They will have stories to tell about the professionalism and diligence of parademics who have saved them from an unthinkable fate. There are many, many people alive today who would no longer be, were it not for the intervention of ambulance staff.

The fact that staff are abused by the drunk and ungrateful is a stain on our society. That there are those whose standards of behaviour sink to such depths as to physically and verbally assault medics shames us all.

We might wish the problem away and hope that nefarious individuals might come to their senses of their own volition. Sadly, over a period of years, that has proved not to be the case. And staff in our hospitals and on 999 ambulance crews are at greater danger than they have ever been. It is time to stop pussy-footing around and take decisive action.

Magistrates and judges need to make an example of those who commit dreadful crimes. They ought to take firm action so that others think twice before swearing, snarling, punching or kicking. There can be no excuses and no reasons.

999 staff are helpful and benign. They do not pose a threat. They are there to perform a job in the most stressful and difficult circumstances and our laws must allow them to do that.

The time for tolerance is over and stronger sentences should follow. We must not put crews in a position where they fear for their own safety or decide to leave the emergency services because their well being is put at risk.

We hope that the judiciary follows through and shows zero tolerance to those who are culpable.