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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY J.M. MAÇON OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 29th MAY 2012
Question
Could the Minister explain what consideration, if any, has been given to merging the Customs and Immigration intelligence section with that of the States of Jersey Police?
Would the Minister explain the reasons for continuing with the current situation whereby each Department has separate intelligence units and detail the cost and staffing levels of both?
Answer
I believe that the maintenance of two separate law enforcement agencies with separate links and sources of information is an important advantage and is one of the reasons for the comparative success of the Island in disrupting the supply of illegal drugs and consequently maintaining the current high prices in the Island for such drugs.
However, this issue was considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review when a Law Enforcement Feasibility Study undertaken by the consultancy firm Tribal. The results of the Study were published in February 2011 and intelligence was identified as a possible area for a saving through closer collaboration between Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS) and States of Jersey Police (SOJP).
This was examined in detail, including the option of a single Island-wide ' intelligence function to be re-established in a single location. The Tribal Study concluded that neither JCIS nor SOJP believed that they should reduce the resources deployed in the area of intelligence and considered the risks in accepting the option too significant to mitigate. It was therefore not taken forward as a realistic saving. The two sections continue to exchange information and work together co- operatively.
Whilst the conclusions of the Tribal Study remain relevant, JCIS and SOJP have initiated a project to identify whether savings and efficiencies can be made by further enhanced collaborative working within one aspect of the intelligence environment. A working group has been established and their findings will be considered by JCIS and SOJP management in due course.
In addition, the SoJP are also embarking on exploring options for Workforce Modernisation within the Intelligence arena, which has the potential to make £70k savings towards CSR.
The cost of the JCIS intelligence section for 2011 was £451,425. The cost of the SOJP intelligence section for 2011 was £1,065,400. (Staff costs only)
The staffing level of the JCIS intelligence section is 8 Customs and Immigration Officers.
The staffing level of the SOJP intelligence section consists of 13 Police Officers and 9 members of Police Staff.