Costs of Professional Standards Unit within the States of Jersey Police

1240/5(2965)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY S.C. FERGUSON OF ST. BRELADE

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 18th JULY 2006

Question

Would the Minister inform members, for each of the last 4 years –

1. of the cost of overtime incurredbytheProfessionalStandardsUnit?
2. of the cost of any additional uniformedofficersorcivilianstaff involved in investigations?
3. of the cost of overtime for additional uniformed officers and civilian  staff involved ininvestigations?
4. of the costofcoveringtheabsenceofuniformed officers and civilian staff on suspensionincluding overtime costs incurred?
5. of the cost ofsecondmentof officers from other departments or from theU.K. and oftemporary/seconded civilian staffbroughtin to coversuspensions?
6. of the cost of any specialised equipment used by the Professional Standards Unit?
7. of the numberof applications madeforpermission to institute a phone tap onofficers and civilian staff under investigation?
8. of the cost of phone tapping, including legal costs of applications?
9. of the percentage of the Deputy Chief Officer's time attributable toinvestigations?
10. of the numberof investigations eachyear?
11. of the numberof officers and staffcharged, arising from investigations?
12. of the numberof retirements/resignations arising from investigations?
13. of the total number of officers retiring in 2005 at50 and 55 years ofage?and,
14. of the total number of officers estimated to retire in 2006 at50 and 55 years of age? Answer

1. The total cost of overtime incurredbytheProfessionalStandardsDepartmentin the last four years is as follows -

2 0 0 3 –   £793 2 0 0 4 –  £884 2 0 0 5 –  £1,933 2 0 0 6 – £505.

T hese  are  from  an  annual  overtime  budget  for  the  Police  of £560,000.  The  Professional  Standards

Department is probably the least costly department in the Police in respect of overtime.

2. There has been no additional cost other than overtime whichisdealt with below. Additional officers were

only used on two occasions and as both matters involved serious criminal allegations, the officers were utilised in

their normal operational role of investigating crime. As explained in a previous oral answer to the Deputy , duties were re-rostered and other matters re-prioritised, as is usual when serious allegations of crime are made and need to be investigated. One of these two occasions led to lengthy jail sentences at the Royal Court this year for a number of men for drugs importation, as well as other convictions at the Magistrate's Court. The other is being currently considered by H.M. Attorney General.

3. This only applies totwo particular operations.Thefirstwas an operationwhich resulted in a numberofmen being given lengthy prison sentences atthe Royal Court for importation of drugs,aswellas convictions for other menin respect ofthe fabrication of alibis for guilty personswhere they tried to get an innocent person convicted ofan assault. This operation lasted three years and cost a totalof £37,046 in overtime,butresulted in the jailing of a numberofdangerous criminals. Thiswas a ProfessionalStandardsDepartmentenquiry, and interestingly isabout half the cost of the recent enquiry byDevonandCornwall into the fatal police crash lastyear.Thesecondcase was a lengthy enquiry into corruption which resulted inan officer being required to resign after pleading guilty to serious discipline charges.ThePolice were givensanctionto proceed with these before the criminalmatters were resolved.H.M.Attorney General isnowconsidering the question of a prosecution in this case.The overtime bill for this was £15,855.
4. In respect ofcoveringcosts for suspendedpolice officers, the answer is the same as that given inthe oral answerto Deputy Ferguson onthe20th June 2006. Therearenocoveringcosts for police officers. Duties have been re-rostered or tasks re-prioritised. Departments have normally had to absorb the absence of suspendedstaff in the same mannerasthosesickorseconded.Theoneexceptionwas when, in a particular department, the three top civil service staff were suspended for misuseoffunds and otherassets.Thatwas covered by the temporarypromotionof one existing staff member to Headof Department, (since ratified permanently), and the employmentoftemporarystaff for sixmonths. The total cost of this was £26,030 inclusive of the temporarypromotion.
5. No staff have been brought from theU.K.to fill in forsuspended officers or staff. The cost of civilian staff brought in to coveronone occasion only isshown in (d) above.
6. The ProfessionalStandardsDepartment does not possess specialisedequipment.Ifrequired, they use the standard equipment issued to and retained bytheTechnicalSupport Unit of the Police.
7. and (h)

F o r legal and operational reasons, the Police cannot either confirm or deny anything in relation to this. The

Police's general operational activity in this area is inspected each year by the Surveillance Commissioner who reports to the States.

9. The Deputy Chief Officer does not take part in investigations; hesupervisesand directs the most serious, sees all files at completion, and decides on the disposal of cases which are not criminal. The answer, therefore, is nil.
10. Public Complaints –

2 0 0 3 – 44 2 0 0 4 – 38 2 0 0 5 – 38 2 0 0 6 – 16.

I n ternal Complaints –

2 0 0 3 – 11 2 0 0 4 – 19 2 0 0 5 – 12 2 0 0 6 – 8

I t will be noticed that the number of complaints made by the public is falling. Internal complaints have risen

in line with increased confidence among staff that matters will be effectively dealt with.

11. 2003 - one police officer and five civil servants were charged with discipline offences. The police officer and one civil servant later resignedbeforehearings,threecivil servants were sacked at hearings, and one civil servant received a final written warning, but later resigned when he again came under investigation. Additionally, five cases were dealt with by words of advice'.

2 0 04 - two police officers and one civil servant were charged with discipline offences; one of the officers was

also charged criminally. The two police officers and the civil servant resigned before a hearing. Seven cases were dealt with by words of advice'.

2 0 05 - one police officer was charged with discipline offences, pleaded guilty, reprimanded and subject to

Service Confidence Procedures. Five cases were dealt with by words of advice'.

2 0 06 - two police officers were charged with discipline offences; one was reduced in rank and one was

required to resign and is awaiting H.M. Attorney General's decision on criminal charges. Two civil servants were charged with discipline matters and are awaiting hearings. Five matters so far have been dealt with by words of advice'.

12. 2003 – nil.

2 0 04 - Three police officers and one civil servant resigned whilst under criminal/discipline investigation.

2 0 05 - three police officers and one civil servant resigned whilst under criminal/discipline investigation. One

other probationary officer's probation was not confirmed because of the number of similar type assault allegations from the public and other performance issues.

2 0 06 - One police officer was required to resign as an alternative to dismissal after pleading guilty at a

hearing; the outcome of criminal investigation is awaited. One police officer resigned after a commercial quantity of drugs was found at the home address shared with a partner and the launch of discipline investigation.

13. 2005 - Eight officers retired at the ageof50;two retired whohad stayed to 51; one retired at 54; two retired at 55; and oneremained to 57.Sixof these continued towork within the States, twoof them within the States of Jersey Police. Another11,who could have retired, chose to remain.
14. 006 - Two officers haveleft this year at the ageof 50, butboth have remained with the Police in other capacities. One will retire in Septemberattheage of 50.Two retired at55.Another14 are eligible to retire but have given no indication that they haveany wish to do so.