Jersey Police Complaints Authority Annual Report 2024

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

R.100-2024

Contents

1. Introduction from the Chair  3
2. Annual report 2024  5
3. Powers of the JPCA  7
4. Complaints 2024 overview  10
5. Analysis of Complaints  11
6. Informal resolution  14
7. Time taken to complete investigations  15
8. General supervision and oversight  16
9. Accounts  17
10. Training and development for members  18
11. Taser use  19
12. Regular complainants & unreasonable complainant conduct  20
13. Summary  21

1. INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHAIR

It is my pleasure to present the 2024 annual report of the independent Jersey Police Complaints Authority (JPCA). This will be my first report after assuming office in September 2024. I should like to acknowledge the significant contribution and progress made by my predecessor, Janet Naylor who has passed on an organisation which is both well run and well positioned to take on the new responsibilities as it transitions from an Authority to a Commission during the next twelve months. I am sure she would join with me in thanking the other members of the authority and especially our JPCA administrator Nicky Le Blond for all their hard work in 2024.

The JPCA has a statutory duty under the Police (Complaints and Discipline) (Jersey) Law 1999, to report annually to the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs and present analysis on complaints recorded about the States of Jersey Police (SoJP) and the Jersey Honorary Police.

The police complaints, discipline system and processes are key to police accountability. It is vital to securing the Island s confidence in its policing service, both SOJP and the parish honorary system that an independent oversight of the police complaints system and supervising investigations, including death or serious injury matters (DSI) takes place in a

considered and effective manner. Our work as the JPCA is undertaken independently of the government, police and interest groups.

It is the role of the JPCA to ensure that every complaint is properly registered, recorded and comprehensively investigated and, where appropriate, referred to the JPCA for independent oversight and supervision. It should be made clear that the Authority is comprised of members who conduct their work on a pro-bono basis. We are not a mirror image of the Independent Police Complaints Commission of England and Wales.

Our primary function is to secure public confidence in policing and the complaints procedure by ensuring the police are accountable for their actions and lessons are learnt whilst also ensuring the interests of the police themselves are equally served. Whilst accountability of individual officers for wrongdoing is clearly important, a significant impact from our oversight and an effective complaints system, can come from themes and learning identified, not just from the complaints process in Jersey, but also learning from best practice in the UK and elsewhere in order to help strengthen policing practice more broadly.

Our more recent annual reports have noted our expectation that a new Police Complaints and Discipline Law would be presented to the States Assembly for approval through which the JPCA would transition to become the Jersey Police Complaints Commission (JPCC). This is

the result of extensive collaboration and represents best practice to further strengthen and

create a strong and robust oversight regime. The new Law was approved by the States Assembly on the 30th of March 2022. However, the date of enactment and the approval of the associated regulations will not be considered until the proposed regulations are submitted to the States Assembly. As I write I am pleased to say that I expect new regulations will be enacted in quarter 4 2025 and we will be able to enter 2026 as the JPCC.

It is important to note that the new legislation represents a modernisation of the law and the functions of the JPCA. The JPCC remains supervisory rather than investigatory but nevertheless, the implementation of the new procedures and ongoing responsibilities under the new Law will be a challenging transition for the members of the JPCC. Commissioners are laypeople who give their time freely without remuneration to oversee, monitor and supervise investigations by the Professional Standards Department of the SOJP.

I do hope you enjoy reading our report for 2024 and if the work is of interest to you, please get in touch, we are always keen to consider applications to join the authority from suitable applicants and are always happy to answer questions from members of the public about the work which we undertake.

Chris Stephenson

Chair, Jersey Police Complaints Authority

2. ANNUAL REPORT 2024

The JPCA - who we are, what we do and becoming the Jersey Police Complaints Commission (JPCC) in 2025.

Consistent  with  every  police  force  in  the  UK,  the  States  of  Jersey  Police  (SOJP)  has  a Professional Standards Department (PSD), which is responsible for the administration and investigation of allegations or complaints made about both the SOJP officers, the Honorary Police, or both police forces. The role of the JPCA is to oversee, monitor and supervise investigations by PSD. The JPCA does not carry out the investigations and its members are not trained investigators. The JPCA is independent of the police and government, and its role is to ensure that the investigating officers carry out the investigations into complaints in a thorough and impartial manner to ensure the police achieve high standards in the handling of complaints, conduct matters and death or serious injury (DSI) cases.

To  have  confidence  in  the  police  service,  the  public  needs  to  have  trust  in  the  police complaints system. When complaints are made, people should have confidence that they will be dealt with robustly and fairly. We are often challenged and questioned on how local police officers can fairly investigate their own colleagues. This is the accepted norm in the UK in all

but the most serious cases. Here in Jersey all incidents and complaints about the conduct of police officers will be investigated impartially, officers will be held to account for poor conduct, both by PSD and the JPCA and the police will strive to learn and improve from all complaints.  The  JPCA  is  increasingly  prioritising  learning  through  supplementary observations, comments and recommendations at the conclusion of complaint investigations. The  new  law  will  provide  significant  scope  for  the  Commission  to  ensure  learning recommendations are effective, targeted and outcomes are achieved in a timely manner.  

The States of Jersey appoints Members of the JPCA for a period of three years (subject to reappointment up to a maximum of three terms) and their services are provided on a voluntary basis. The Members who served during the year are detailed below.  

Chris Stephenson  Chair   Appointed September 2024  Rachel Catchpole   Deputy Chair   Appointed January 2017  David Porter   Supervising Member   Appointed June 2021  Allison Le Couteur  Supervising Member   Appointed October 2022 Jenna Newlands  Supervising Member   Appointed October 2022 Blake Albert   Supervising Member   Appointed October 2022 Simon Burgess  Supervising Member   Appointed September 2024

All Members of the JPCA are volunteers. They give their time freely and repeatedly to deliver an important and professional service - a service which requires a significant time commitment given the complexity of many complaints under the JPCA's supervision.

The Members of the JPCA are entitled to claim their reasonable expenses. No expense claims were made during the year.

The Authority continues to operate from cost-effective serviced office accommodation in St Helier.

The JPCA employs one part-time administrator, Nicky Le Blond, who provides a critical role in the day-to-day function and administration of the JPCA. Mrs Le Blond has served the JPCA for some 14 years now and the JPCA would like to acknowledge the dedication, professional and valued support that she continues to provide. The JPCA office is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings between the hours of 08.15 and 12.15.  

3. POWERS OF THE JPCA

The JPCA supervises three categories of investigation:

1. Those arising from complaints made by members of the public which have not been dealt with by Informal Resolution. Please refer to Section 6 on page 15;
2. those arising from issues referred to the JPCA on a voluntary basis by the SOJP; and,
3. those specifically detailed in the Law, such as investigations arising from a complaint into the death of individuals following contact with the SOJP. Generally speaking, the JPCA is not involved in the oversight of the investigation of complaints which are of an operational nature, unless the matter is specifically referred on a voluntary basis to the JPCA by the SOJP.  

One of the first stages of the complaints process is to assess whether the complaint is capable of what is currently known as Informal Resolution. The JPCA does not have a role to play in supervising those complaints, which are dealt with by way of Informal Resolution between the complainant and the SOJP. However, the JPCA audits the SOJP files relating to complaints, which have been dealt with by Informal Resolution.  

Complaints made by members of the public against Honorary Police Officers are submitted to the JPCA in the usual manner by the SOJP following a referral by the Connétable of the relevant Parish, usually at the direction of the Attorney General. The Attorney General is responsible for considering informal resolution of complaints made against Honorary Police Officers.  

Voluntary referral cases, not necessarily complaints, are occasionally made by the SOJP on any internal matter, which is the subject of investigation by PSD.  

The flow chart at Appendix I (complaints against an SOJP Officer), Appendix II (complaints against an Honorary Police Officer) and Appendix III (complaints against the Chief Officer or Deputy Chief Officer) show the entire complaints process from receipt of a complaint from a member of the public to the issue of the JPCA's closure letter.

The Law requires that the JPCA supervise all complaints alleging that the conduct of a member of the SOJP Force or Honorary Police Force resulted in the death of, or serious injury to, some other person. All deaths or serious injury following police contact would normally be

subjected to an investigation by PSD, regardless of any complaint arising from such an incident and referred to the JPCA for supervision.  In the case of a death, the Viscounts office will be involved and in most cases a Coroner's inquest held.  

A death or serious injury after contact with the police challenges the public's confidence in policing. Therefore, it is essential that the facts surrounding such incidents are fully investigated and independently supervised by the JPCA in order to preserve and even enhance public confidence. In certain circumstances, an external police force may be requested to undertake such an investigation.  

Police officers regularly come into contact with some of the most vulnerable members of society and their actions may influence what that person does next. Sometimes deaths or serious injuries occur because things have gone wrong or because, upon reflection, a different strategy or approach may have been preferable. The investigation into such tragic events must primarily identify what happened and why. It is the role of the JPCA in such circumstances to ensure the police learn from any mistakes and to provide the public with reassurance that the police are held to account for their actions, where the evidence deems it necessary.  

All complaints where a potential conflict or perceived bias is identified are taken very seriously, and steps taken to avoid this situation arising. The JPCA has a process to ensure that there is no conflict between the Supervising Member and any complainant or officer(s) subject of the complaint. If a conflict is identified, the complaint would be re-allocated to another Supervising Member to ensure impartiality.  

The JPCA must approve the appointment of the Investigating Officer. Usually, the Investigating Officer is an officer of the SOJP of Inspector rank or above. However, on occasions the JPCA either requires or agrees to the appointment of an Investigating Officer from an external police force.  

 In the UK the most serious complaint matters or cases involving death or serious injury (DSI), are referred by individual police forces to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation. Here in Jersey, the need for the involvement of an external police force might arise because of potential conflicts, complex cases, those involving senior officers, or because a case is so serious that it calls for the appointment of an external force. The appointment of an external force must be agreed by the JPCA who would also oversee the investigation. It should be noted that the JPCA does not investigate complaints; the SOJP receives the complaint and if informal resolution is not possible, the complaint is formally referred to the JPCA to supervise. Once PSD completes their investigation, an Investigating Officer's report together with supporting documents, body worn camera and video evidence is submitted to the JPCA. The Supervising Member reviews the report, documents and evidence to ensure the investigation has been properly carried out, that the conclusion is reasonable, and that the report has covered all aspects of the complaint. In addition to the Supervising Member  conducting their review, another Member of the JPCA conducts a second independent review of the complaint investigation to ensure the principal Supervising Member has reached a suitable conclusion.  

The Chair, Deputy Chair and members where available meet with the PSD every six weeks to monitor the progress of investigations and other relevant issues. These meetings provide a constructive forum to discuss the handling of all associated complaint matters. The SOJP and Honorary Police Officers provide a professional service to the public of Jersey and standards are generally very high. However, on occasions when officers and the organisation fall short of these standards it is important to have a system that can quickly show what has gone wrong, while ensuring there is accountability at both individual and force level and that lessons are learned. Learning outcomes arising from complaints are taken up by the SOJP Learning the Lessons Forum' and disseminated across the force. An important addition to the new Law will enable the Jersey Police Complaints Commission (JPCC) to make recommendations to the SOJP and Honorary police regarding improvements to best practice

and policing policy arising from an investigation. The new Law also makes provision for the JPCC to request information and report generally on outcomes and whether the police are implementing the JPCC's recommendations. The JPCA welcomes these changes and the facility to audit whether its recommendations have been implemented.  

Members of the JPCA continue to liaise with officers of the Law Officers Department (LOD) with regular meetings during which current cases are discussed, reasons for any delay are examined and other relevant matters are considered. The introduction of a service level agreement (SLA) between the JPCA, PSD and LOD in 2017 continues to work well, with most cases being concluded within agreed timeframes. However, it is noted that this year some complaint cases have proven more challenging and time-consuming due to their complexity,

consequently it has taken longer to investigate and resolve to the satisfaction of the JPCA. It is proposed to review the SLA given the introduction of the new regulations in 2025 to ensure the SLA stays relevant.

4. COMPLAINTS 2024 OVERVIEW

9 new cases were referred to the JPCA for supervision in 2024, 8 of which were complaints received from the public. There was 1 serious injury referral in 2024.

1 case was brought forward from 2020, 4 from 2022 and a further 8 from 2023, bringing the total number of cases under supervision during 2024 to 22.

The JPCA liaises with the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to find the number of enquiries made to the Bureau about police related matters during the year to ensure that wherever possible members of the public are given an adequate opportunity to go ahead with a complaint. The CAB advised the JPCA that during 2024 it had received 99 enquiries about police related matters; (79 in 2023; 74 in 2022; 74 in 2021; 77 in 2019). 6 enquiries were specifically related to complaints against the police and the complaints process, (8 in 2023; 7 in 2022; 13 in 2021; 7 in 2020).  The CAB provided assistance to the 6 enquirers by referring them to the JPCA website and, if needed, assisting them to raise their concerns. However, data is not available

as to whether any of these initial enquiries translated into actual complaints or were formally referred to the JPCA.

Overview of Complaints

50 40 30 20 10 0

• Public complaint Death/serious injury referral
  • Voluntary referral Total number new cases

5. ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS

Illustration 2: Nature of complaint supervised

Excessive use of force

0%

22% Harrassment / Threatening

Behaviour / Abuse of Authority

0% Instances relating to death / 11% serious injury

67% Data Protection Breach

Other

Summary explanation of complaints supervised by the JPCA

• 0 complaints relating to use of force.

• 6 complaints alleging abuse of authority. All were carried forward to 2025.

• 1 referral involving a serious injury.

• 2 complaints determined as other' in illustration 2 relate to allegations concerning the criminal investigation.

• All 9 complaints related to SOJP officers. The table below illustrates the split of SOJP investigations for the last 5 years.

• 9 new cases were supervised by the JPCA during 2024. All were related to the conduct of SOJP officers as noted in the illustration above with none being related to the conduct of Honorary Police officers.

• During the 5 years commencing 2010, there have been a total of 11 complaints recorded against Honorary Officers and 65 complaints have been recorded against SOJP Officers.

Reference illustration 1 above for a breakdown of the complaint outcomes for previous years.

As noted above, during the course of 2024, 9 new complaints were referred to the JPCA. All 9 of these complaints have been carried forward to 2025 as they were not capable of being finalised during 2024. At the end of December 2024, 7 of these were still under investigation by PSD whilst 2 were being considered by the JPCA.

3 of the 4 carried forward from 2022 concluded in the year, leaving one to be carried forward to 2025. 4 of the 8 carried forward cases from 2023 to 2024 were concluded in 2024; leaving 4 to be carried forward to 2025. A total of 7 cases were concluded in 2024. Of these complaints 3 were found to be substantiated and four unsubstantiated.

From time-to-time Members of the JPCA will have cause to challenge the findings of the Investigating Officer or to question certain aspects of the investigation or specific recommendations. Whenever such a challenge is made, the JPCA ensures that any queries are resolved and that all matters have been concluded to its satisfaction prior to the JPCA issuing a satisfaction statement. This includes ensuring that all elements of a complaint have been dealt with in the report produced by the Investigating Officer. Members of the JPCA also, on occasion, make observations on operational issues, which may be called into question by an investigation. During 2024 no complaints concluded within the year, but of the 7 2022/ 2023 cases carried forward to 2024 (and concluded in 2024); JPCA supervising members requested further information on three cases, querying aspects of the Investigating Officer's report, (2023 – 1 case; 2022 – 2; 2021 – 5; 2020 – 6).

After considering the Investigating Officer's Report, the JPCA must issue a statement as to whether the investigation has or has not been conducted to its satisfaction. From time to time, the JPCA is not able to provide a satisfaction statement until it is satisfied with all elements of the investigation and its findings. During 2024, the JPCA was prepared to provide a satisfaction statement for the seven cases concluded (from 2022 and 2023) once all the questions and queries had been resolved (other five were carried forward to 2025).

In cases where the JPCA are satisfied with the SOJP investigation but wish to provide comments in relation to points of learning or indeed observations that relate to the content of the Investigating Officer's report, the JPCA will provide feedback through the supplementary letter process.

6. INFORMAL RESOLUTION

A review of the Complaints Register maintained by SOJP, revealed that in 2024 the Police registered 56 complaints, (2023 – 59 complaints; 2022 – 64 complaints; 2021 – 55 complaints; 2020 – 80). During 2024, 25 complaints were resolved through the informal resolution process (10 cases in 2023; 14 cases in 2022; 15 cases in 2021; 41 cases in 2020). Resolution of complaints by this process is, in the main, by way of an explanation of police actions or responses, or because of a formal apology. The remaining complaints that have not been referred to the JPCA are still being considered, have been dealt with by SOJP service recovery, have been withdrawn, or are incapable of investigation

The JPCA conducts a review of the records of all complaints which were informally resolved by SOJP. These complaints are not referred to the JPCA. The JPCA is satisfied these cases were dealt with appropriately and had no cause for concern with complaints informally resolved in 2024.  

7. TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE INVESTIGATIONS

Occasionally delays in completing the investigation are unavoidable when the matter is sub- judice  [1]due to an on-going criminal investigation or where delays are encountered whilst engaging with the complainant. Since the introduction of a service level agreement in 2017 between the LOD, PSD and the JPCA, the time taken to conclude supervision of a complaint investigation has hitherto generally been within the agreed timeframe. The JPCA acknowledges there were minor delays in finalising complaints in 2024. No cases for 2024 were concluded within the year but considering the 7 carried forward from 2022 and 2023 that were concluded in 2024, a review timeline was achieved between 13 days and 95 days.

It is proposed to review timelines during 2025 as part of the review of the SLA.

8. GENERAL SUPERVISION AND OVERSIGHT

JPCA members visit all Parish Hall s annually to view the register of complaints made against Honorary Police Officers; maintenance of these registers is required by Law. The visit to each Parish is conducted on an annual basis during the first quarter of each year where a review of the details of informally resolved complaints referred to the Attorney General is completed. The 2023 review did not generate any cause for concern with the recording practices of parish officials relating to the Honorary Police. The 2024 review is nearly complete as I write with 10 of the 12 parishes having undergone their review.

The annual review of Parish records by Members of the JPCA, and the review of the SOJP complaint register by the Chair and Administrator is an essential monitoring exercise to ensure that all complaints which are made by members of the public, whether to a particular Parish, or to the SOJP, are, where appropriate, referred to the Authority for supervision.  

One record of positive feedback was received during 2024 via the e-portal from a member of the public. This followed interaction with the States of Jersey Police and this complimentary feedback was passed onto the SOJP to inform the individual officers concerned.

Future Work

The JPCA continues to review its operating processes and procedures and where necessary will amend and adapt its practices to ensure the supervision and oversight of police complaint investigations are conducted in an independent, impartial and transparent manner. All supervised investigations continue to be subjected to further scrutiny through a second review process by another Member(s) of the JPCA before each complaint is closed. During 2025/6 the Authority will be focussed on the implementation of the new regulations which it expects to be approved by the States Assembly in the second half of 2025. Training and a full review of its process and practice will be undertaken to ensure the new Commission can meet

its future obligations. In addition, the Commission proposes to review with the SOJP complaint definition, data collection and analysis and jurisdictional comparison to support improved handling and management of complaints. The Commission also proposes to work with the AG, Constables and the Parishes to ensure the Honorary Police Complaint process reflects the new regulations and complaint definitions and recording.

9. ACCOUNTS

The budget allocated to the JPCA in 2024 was £46,311. This represents a slight increase over prior year budget. (2023 - £44,100; 2022 - £44,100; 2021 - £43,000; 2020 - £38,460). The Budget sits within Justice and Home Affairs and is overseen for accounting purposes by the Chief Officer of Justice and Home Affairs.

The actual costs incurred during 2024 amounted to £39,621; (2023 - £57,949; 2022 - £36,682; 2021 - £45,003.94; 2020 - £42,091; 2019 - £37,834.01).

The annual budget provides £10,000 for indemnity insurance, £12,000 office accommodation costs and £15,459 for general office running costs. It should be noted that no legal fees were incurred during 2024. Typically, legal fees cannot be planned for and are often an unbudgeted expense. Prior year legal fees incurred by the JPCA: 2023 £12,000 for development and drafting new procedures in relation to new legislation; 2022 - £0, 2021 – £10,055; 2020 - £15,183.

All investigation costs are borne by the SOJP, including any costs associated with the appointment of an external police force undertaking an investigation into a complaint.

Due to the complexity of some of the cases under review, the JPCA reached agreement with the then Minister in 2013 that, where deemed necessary and appropriate, additional resources would be made available to the JPCA to enable it to employ the services of an independent experienced investigator to assist with the supervision of the more complex investigations. To date the JPCA has not had occasion to engage such additional resource.

10. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR MEMBERS

In addition to joint supervision of complaints allocated to new Members and mentoring provided from experienced Members, each Member will spend a night on patrol with the SOJP together with familiarisation of custody suite processes and more generally, operational procedures.

In preparation for Members to be operationally ready to deliver the procedures under the new law when transitioning to becoming the Jersey Police Complaints Commission, we have

engaged legal support to develop the procedural polices, processes and manuals alongside training materials for existing and future members.

Early 2025, the Authority will be recruiting further members in anticipation of the changes to a Commission; new members will undergo a mentor programme and suitable SOJP training (including elements of new officer training provided to new police recruits by SOJP which will also be attended by members).

11. TASER USE

Although all cases of death or serious injury (DSI), following police contact, must be referred to the JPCA, for example in the case of a death or serious injury resulting from the discharge of a firearm, the JPCA has no direct involvement in the deployment of Taser and would only

become involved if the deployment resulted in referral to the JPCA following a complaint, death or serious injury arising from its use.

PSD provides the JPCA with monthly updates on the number and type of taser deployments. During 2024 out of the 12 incidents reported involving the use of taser, there were no discharges. When compared to prior years (2023 – 34 incidents, 1 discharge; 2022 – 35 incidents, 4 discharges; 2021 – 55 incidents, 10 discharges; 2020 - 43 incidents, 3 discharged). Over the past four years (2021 – 2024) there have been a total of 136 taser incidents reported with 15 incidents where the taser was discharged (the total number of incidents includes all instances of taser being withdrawn from its holster).

12. REGULAR COMPLAINANTS & UNREASONABLE COMPLAINANT CONDUCT

A complaints system that enables easy and effective access is essential for all complainants. All complaint processes give rise to a small number of cases and individuals who pursue their complaints in a way that is unreasonable. The JPCA wishes to emphasise that it recognises all complainants have the right to be listened to, respected and have their complaint taken seriously and investigated in a fair, impartial and independent manner. This should be irrespective of the number of complaints that the complainant in question may previously have made.  

 The JPCA acknowledges that complainants have, in some instances, experienced distressing events and circumstances which may have influenced their behaviour and lead them to complain. They may behave unacceptably, or be unreasonably persistent, or make unreasonable demands in their contact with the police, which can impact on the welfare of those dealing with the complaint, who must equally be given the right to be listened to and respected. The JPCA will always adopt a fair and consistent approach when reviewing a complaint where persistent or unreasonable complainant behaviour is a factor. This is aligned with the Government of Jersey customer feedback policy, which includes managing unreasonable conduct in addition to the SOJP policy on dealing with vexatious or frivolous complainants.

13. SUMMARY

The JPCA remains committed to continuing in its role of supervising and monitoring complaint investigations in an impartial, independent, thorough and dispassionate manner. However, with the introduction of the long awaited and modernised new Law, (anticipated enactment during 2025), the JPCA acknowledges that the new law and transition into the Jersey Police Complaints Commission will provide opportunities for further developing practice, and in particular to take account of changes and improvements in the UK and other jurisdictions.  

Whilst accountability of individual officers for wrongdoing is clearly important, a significant impact from our oversight and an effective complaints system, can come from themes and learning identified, not just from the complaints process in Jersey, but also learning from best practice in the UK and elsewhere to help strengthen policing practice more broadly.

As noted elsewhere in this report, the SOJP and Honorary Police Officers provide a professional service to the public of Jersey and standards are generally very high. When officers and the organisation fall short of these standards it is important to have a system that can quickly establish what has gone wrong, while ensuring there is appropriate accountability. Learning outcomes arising from complaints that are taken up by the SOJP Learning the Lessons Forum' provides an important emphasis to a culture which is more open, reflective of mistakes and with a greater emphasis on learning, development and improvement whilst maintaining and ensuring accountability. An important addition to the new law will enable the Jersey Police Complaints Commission (JPCC) to make recommendations to the SOJP and Honorary police regarding improvements to best practice and policing policy arising from an investigation. The new law also makes provision for the JPCC to request information and report generally on outcomes and whether the police are implementing the JPCC's recommendations. The JPCA welcomes these changes and the facility to audit whether its recommendations have been implemented.  

Complaints against the police have reduced marginally in 2024, it is to be hoped this trend will continue in 2025.

The proportion of complaints being satisfactorily concluded through the SOJP Informal Resolution process was 25 (44%); significantly higher than last year. 2023 – 10 complaints / 17% were resolved informally; 2022 - 14 complaints /22%; 2021 – 15 complaints/28%; and 2020 - 41 complaints/51%.

In prior reports the JPCA has reported on the positive effects that the wider deployment of body worn cameras (BWC) has had on resolving disputes, in particular incidents involving anti- social behaviour where alcohol has been a factor. Body worn camera evidence has been shown to provide critically important evidence throughout an unfolding incident for all involved. There have been occasions when cameras have not been activated sufficiently in advance of an incident and significant evidence has not been available as a result. The JPCA recognises that some situations and incidents can escalate very rapidly and anticipating such a change in circumstances is difficult and challenging. Nevertheless  it is in everyone s interests that BWC are activated as early as possible.

Comparison with UK police complaints data  

It is not possible to make a direct comparison between complaints made against the police in Jersey and complaints made against separate police forces in England and Wales as there are differences in the classification of complaints and systems together with variables on how they are recorded.

2025/6 will be years of transition for the Authority as it morphs into a Commission under the new regulations. This will increase our workload, but our members are enthused about the transition and look forward to working with the SOJP and Honorary Police to ensure that complaints are both handled in a timely and professional manner as well as ensuring that learning derived from complaint resolutions is applied to avoid repetition in the future.

Chris Stephenson - Chair

Jersey Police Complaints Authority

APPENDIX I: STATES OF JERSEY POLICE OFFICER

APPENDIX II: HONORARY POLICE OFFICER

APPENDIX III: COMPLAINT RECEIVED AGAINST CHIEF OFFICER AND DEPUTY CHIEF OFFICER

[1] Sub-judice is generally invoked when the complainant, or the officer subject to the complaint, is facing a criminal charge. The complaint investigation is placed on hold until the criminal charge has been dealt with. However, the investigation into the complaint may proceed with the informed consent of the complainant to waive their right to sub-judice.