Impose mandatory custodial sentences for assaults on Emergency service personnel

Emergency service personnel in this country work day in day out, 24 hours a day 365 days a year, putting themselves in life and death situations to help members of the public.

Far to often we see stories on the news of paramedics, police officers and fire fighters being subjected to countless assaults and sustaining injuries affecting their ability to work whilst also reducing the capacity of these services to continue to provide a full service to those who need it.

The only way to reduce this is to send a strong message that it WILL NOT be tolerated and to introduce a strong deterrent to anyone believing they can engage in such behaviour without serious consequences. As such anyone convicted of such a crime should be handed a mandatory custodial sentence.