THE chief constable of Sussex Police is organising a crisis meeting to improve officer safety. 

Chief constable Giles York said assaults on police are "not part of the job" and is now bringing together chief constables from across the country for talks.

This comes after a shocking rise in police attacks - including in Sussex - and the death of PC Andrew Harper who was killed in the line of duty in Berkshire.

CC York said: "We take officer safety incredibly seriously and as chief constables do all we can to keep people safe. 

"Policing is a hugely satisfying career, where you make a positive difference in your community and keep people safe from harm. 

"There are tens of thousands of positive interactions between police and the public every day. 

"However there are inevitably some risks. 

"Officers know that they may sometimes have to put themselves in harm's way to protect the public, and chief constables try to minimise this risk with the right training, equipment and resource. 

"Assaults on police is not part of the job.”

Attacks on Sussex Police officers have risen by 16 per cent, new figures revealed last week.

On the day the new figures were released, three officers were attacked in Brighton and Hove, with two taken to hospital.

There were 1,033 assaults on officers in 2018/19 – an average of three a day. Of these, 288 resulted in injuries.

The total is 16 per cent more than the number of assaults recorded four years ago – 890.

Now, police bosses are set to meet for crisis talks after being brought together by CC Giles York, the vice chair of the NPCC National Police Chiefs' Council.

He said: "As well as the action I and other chief constables take locally, all chief constables are getting together to consider the current threats for officers, and to see what more we can do to improve safety tangibly – taking learning from recent incidents. 

"The brutal attacks on police officers right across the country in recent weeks has again brought officer safety first and foremost for so many of us in policing. 

"Chief Constables took practical steps to increase the deployment of Taser last year, should it be needed in the challenges they face. 

"Sussex Police and Surrey Police decided to make Taser available to front line officers who want it last year. The logistics of training and procurement means this will take some time. 

"Chief constables coming together to discuss risks is sensible to make sure we are considering the issue fully and carefully and pooling our collective knowledge."