An organised police force designed for the safety and protection of the public is something that is familiar throughout Europe. The principles of modern policing, first established almost 200 years ago, continue today but in a vastly different, rapidly changing social environment. Across the EU, police forces have different structures, but the tasks carried out by police officers are by and large the same. The individual officers who make up each police force encounter similar scenarios in their role, ranging from misdemeanours in the streets of their hometown to cross-border crime and international terrorism. However, police officers in modern policing encounter a range of risks while carrying out their duties. They confront both operational and organisational stresses, resulting in burnout as well as health and safety risks, including from the array of equipment they carry. While precise Europe-wide figures are not available, officers do encounter verbal and physical assaults and violence resulting in physical and emotional harm. Some Member States record and publish figures of assaults against police officers, but many do not. In addition, there is no clear definition of what is regarded as an assault; often an assault that does not result in noticeable injury is either not reported or not recorded. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP Read more