MORE
than
1,000
council
staff
were
attacked
or
abused
while
carrying
out
their
duties
last
year,
the Echo
can
exclusively
reveal.
The
figures
have
been
released
to the
Echo
under a
freedom
of
information
request
to local
authorities
in
Devon.
The
incidents
range
from
verbal
assaults,
physical
attacks
and
threats
of
attack
to
threats
with a
weapon.
Devon
County
Council
recorded
the
highest
number
of
assaults
on its
staff —
with
1,040
staff
being
threatened
or
attacked
in 2008.
The
authority's
adult
and
community
services
department
logged
700
complaints
alone
last
year — a
hike of
almost
250
incidents
in two
years.
And
staff
working
in the
county
council's
children
and
young
people's
services
— which
includes
schools
— were
the
victim
of an
assault
or abuse
335
times
last
year.
The
council
told the
Echo the
increase
in
assaults
or
verbal
abuse
within
its
adult
social
care
department
was the
result
of a
drive to
encourage
staff to
report
incidents.
Exeter
City
Council
staff
were
assaulted
or
attacked
16 times
last
year —
almost
double
the
previous
year.
The
highest
number
of
incidents
recorded
involved
staff in
the
council's
parking
enforcement
department.
The city
council
told the
Echo the
increase
was a
result
of the
authority
taking
over
parking
enforcement
duties
from
police.
A
spokesman
for the
city
council
said:
"The
figures
regarding
the
parking
services
relate
to
verbal
abuse
only
rather
than
assaults.
"We
encourage
staff to
report
these
and to
fill out
incident
reports,
and we
refer
matters
to the
police
where
appropriate.
It is
extremely
regrettable
that a
small
minority
of the
public
feel it
necessary
to abuse
staff
who are
only
doing
their
job."
East
Devon
District
Council
revealed
that
eight of
its
staff
had been
the
victim
of an
attack
or abuse
in 2008
compared
to no
employees
suffering
such
incidents
in 2006.
The
incidents
involved
verbal
abuse,
threatening
behaviour
and
physical
assault
in its
housing,
benefits,
environmental
health
and
civil
enforcement
departments.
The
authority
also
recorded
eight
such
incidents
in 2007
—
including
threats
with
weapons.
Mid
Devon
District
Council
was
unable
to
provide
the Echo
with
figures.
They
said
their
human
resources
department
did not
hold
such
records.
Attacks
or abuse
of
council
workers
resulted
in 23
days
absence
from
work
between
2006 and
2008.
Karen
Williams,
Exeter
City
branch
secretary
for
Unison,
said:
"We are
concerned
about
those
employees
who may
be
working
unusual
hours.
"It is
really
important
council
staff
feel
they are
supported
by their
employer."
A
spokesman
for
Devon
County
Council
said:
"The
safety
and
wellbeing
of our
staff is
paramount
and we
have
robust
policies,
procedures
and
training
sessions
covering
violence
at work,
lone
working
and
personal
safety."
A
statement
from
East
Devon
District
Council
said:
"The
council
will not
tolerate
any form
of
verbal,
racial
or
physical
abuse
towards
its
employees
and
anyone
who
contravenes
this
policy
could be
subject
to
prosecution."
If you
are a
council
worker
who has
been
assaulted
or
suffered
abuse
while
carrying
out your
duties,
please
contact
us with
your
story.
Contact
