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Emergency services workers will be better protected from racial and religious abuse when visiting homes under new government plans.
The new measures, tabled as amendments to the government’s landmark Crime and Policing Bill, will close an existing loophole that enables people to get away with racial and religious abuse towards police, fire and ambulance workers making house calls.
At present, it is illegal to racially or religiously abuse anyone in public, but this does not extend to behaviour within a private home, leaving emergency workers potentially at risk.
The gap was originally designed to ensure that the laws that allow police to keep public spaces free from serious disorder did not overstep into private conversations held in homes.
By stopping short of people’s houses, the law has left emergency workers vulnerable and unprotected to racial and religious-based abuse and harassment during house calls, and unable to hold the perpetrators to account for their behaviour.
Reports of emergency workers being abused for their race or religion while in private homes have increased, and the government thinks it is vital they get the protections they deserve as they carry out their vital work to resolve home disputes and provide health care.
By closing the loophole in the Public Order Act 1986, the government is making clear that racially or religiously motivated abuse and threats towards our emergency workers will never be tolerated, regardless of where it takes place.
Under the change, offenders of abusing emergency workers in any setting could face a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment.
“Policing is an extremely fulfilling profession where officers can make a genuine difference to people’s lives and to their communities. We welcome the amendment to the legislation, which will better protect officers and staff who are there to protect the public.
“Sadly, the role they play means they can often be faced with some incredibly challenging and hostile situations, especially in private homes, and over time, this can take a toll.
“The protection of our officers and staff is a clear priority for all police chiefs. Hate crime has a devastating impact on individual victims, and racial, and faith-based discrimination against officers or emergency workers cannot be tolerated in any form.”
Andy Rhodes, Director of the National Police Wellbeing Service.
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