The trade union claims police also need better personal equipment including stab vests after its own research found three quarters of police custody staff have been threatened with physical violence and almost 22% have required medical treatment following an attack.
Ben Priestly, Unison national officer for police staff, said: ‘Staff must have training to handle potentially dangerous situations and be given the necessary personal equipment to do their job safely and effectively - and that means having stab vests."
As police staff gathered in Glasgow for their annual conference this week, Priestly added: "Police forces around the country need to take a long hard look at these figures and agree an action plan with the union to better protect their staff."
Police need protection
Police need better training to counter the rising tide of violence against them, according to Unison.
