More severe violence against police last year; Cops want tougher punishment

There was more violence against officers last year, and the violence used was more severe, the police said, with the publication of figures for the past year. The police want harsher punishment for people who use violence against cops and other emergency workers.

The police recorded 12,896 incidents of violence against police officers last year. In 2024, that number was 12,543. The violence was more severe than before. The number of cases of aggravated assault rose from 232 in 2024 to 281 last year. And attempted manslaughter cases increased from 139 to 155.

“This is unacceptably high,” said Corry van Breda, in charge of the violence portfolio at the police. “This is not about isolated incidents, but a structural problem.” Some officers suffer permanent injury and trauma.

There was a sharp increase in incidents, particularly around the turn of the year. The figures show a near doubling from 179 incidents around New Year’s Eve 2024 to 344 in 2025. Throwing fireworks, in particular, has increased since 2024. The police attribute this increase to plans for a fireworks ban.

Violence involving mentally disturbed individuals rose from 677 in 2024 to 744 last year. There was also more violence against officers in traffic. Last year involved 966 incidents, compared to 876 in 2024. Violence at football matches decreased compared to 2024, from 240 to 158.

Van Breda thinks that punishing the increasing violence against emergency workers more severely could be an “important signal” to stop this trend. “If you mess with police officers, there must be consequences.”