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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 12TH JULY 2016
Question
Will the Minister inform members how the States of Jersey Police Force compares with those of England and Wales, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Scotland and Northern Ireland in terms of the number of police officers per 100,000 population; for what reasons will a loss of 15 front-line response and community officers over the years 2017 - 2019, envisaged as part of the Draft Medium Term Financial Plan Addition, not result in a reduction in public safety; and what effect she expects there will be on public safety of reduced enquiry desk opening hours, changes to the lost and found' service and the referral of matters to other agencies as part of incident resolution?
Will she further inform members what proposals she has for changes to pay grades for civilian staff and a review of Police terms and conditions and pension changes? What effect does she expect that such changes will have on public safety?
In asking the States to endorse the budget for savings in 2017, will she inform members what further plans she has under consideration to meet her targets for 2018 and 2019?
Answer
- Will the Minister inform members how the States of Jersey Police Force compares with those of England and Wales, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Scotland and Northern Ireland in terms of the number of police officers per 100,000 population;
Direct comparisons with other forces in the British Isles are not straightforward due to differences in the utilisation of uniform and non-uniform staff to perform similar functions, differences in the use of volunteer staff (such as Police Community Support Officers, Special Constables, Community Volunteers and Honorary Officers), and differences in the organisation of national functions such as those to investigate financial and organised crime. Public source information does, however, enable the provision of some information, albeit that the numbers are not directly comparable and the time periods differ.
Crown Dependencies
In 2015, the States of Jersey Police (SoJP) reported an establishment of 218.5 FTE uniform officers (States of Jersey Police Annual Performance Report 2015), and Jersey's resident population was estimated at 102,700 (as at the end of 2015), making a ratio of 213 uniform officers per 100,000 of population. Guernsey reported 147 Police Officers (Guernsey Law Enforcement Annual Report 2015), and Guernsey's population was reported as 62,612 (at the end of March 2015), making a ratio of 235 uniform officers per 100,000 of population. The Isle of Man reported an establishment of 237 constables in 2014-15, excluding Special Constables and Community Volunteers (Chief Constable's Annual Report 2014-2015), with a latest population estimate of 84,497 (2011 census), making a ratio of 280 uniform officers per 100,000 of population.
Recognising that non-uniformed forces staff also undertake important frontline roles, as well as providing support to public safety and security, the inclusion of non-uniformed staff provides an indication of the total manpower directed towards policing. SoJP reported a total establishment of 334.2 FTE in 2015 (including 115.7 non-uniform staff), making a total policing force ratio of 325 staff per 100,000 of population. Guernsey Police reported 61 civilian support staff in 2013 (Guernsey Law Enforcement Report 2013), the last year in which separate data was presented for police civilian staff, which combined with the Police Officers reported for 2015, would provide an estimated total force of around 208, making a total policing force ratio of 332 staff per 100,000 of population. The Isle of Man reported 52 support staff in 2014-15, which combined with the number of constables provides a total establishment of 289, making a total policing force ratio of 342 per 100,000 population.
England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Whilst it is not possible to present direct comparisons between the Islands and these mainland forces, some broad illustrative information can be provided. The figures below are all taken from a recent briefing paper entitled Police Service Strength prepared by the House of Commons Library (February 2016), unless otherwise stated.
There were a reported 125,185 FTE police officers serving in the 43 forces of England & Wales, excluding the British Transport Police and those on central service secondments, and with an estimated population of 57.4m (in mid 2014), this makes a total policing force ratio of 218 police officers per 100,000. Scotland is reported as having 17,295 police officers, with a population of 5.3m (in mid 2014), making a ratio of 326 police officers per 100,000 of population. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is reported as having 6,872 police officers, with an estimated population of 1.86m (in mid 2014), making a ratio of 369 police officers per 100,000 of population.
As at 31 March 2015, there were 80,322 FTE staff employed in supporting roles in England & Wales (comprising civilian staff, community officers, designated officers and traffic wardens), which combined with the number of police officers, makes a total policing force ratio of 358 staff per 100,000 of population. There are reported as being over 5,500 police civilian staff across Scotland (source: Police Scotland web site), which combined with the number of police officers, makes a total policing force ratio of 430 per 100,000 of population. The PSNI reports a total of 9,333 employees, comprising both PSNI Officers and other staff (PSNI Annual Report and Accounts for year ended 31 March 2015), which would indicate a total policing force ratio of 502 staff per 100,000 of population.
- for what reasons will a loss of 15 front-line response and community officers over the years 2017 - 2019, envisaged as part of the Draft Medium Term Financial Plan Addition, not result in a reduction in public safety;
The SoJP does not expect to see any changes to its core functions. It will continue to:
- Respond to emergencies
- Focus on preventing crime
- Protect the most vulnerable in our community.
In recent years, the SoJP has re-shaped and modernised its services to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our community. In parallel, the SoJP has also become more efficient and effective at policing the Island, and in particular following the introduction of the Jersey Police Authority. The SoJP is also benefitting from capital investment in a new Police Headquarters and for the introduction of mobile technology.
Set against this background, the proposed efficiencies and savings contained within the Draft Medium Term Financial Plan Addition 2017-2019 will require the SoJP to undertake a more fundamental review of its operations and services and is expected to change the way it delivers some services to the public.
The SoJP has developed 5 main strategies that are aimed at further improving reducing costs whilst also mitigating any impact to public safety and Island security:
New police operating model – this will improve operational efficiency as well as better regulating demand for police services. Once implemented, demands for police services will be prioritized
by a dynamic assessment process that is based on Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability and Engagement (THRIVE). Based on the assessed priority, new services will also be put in place, including the introduction of resolution over the telephone, referral to a more appropriate agency, or introducing an appointments system where this is a more appropriate resolution.
Mobile technology – this is expected to create capacity and improve service to the public. By providing officers with a portable technology platform, access to relevant and real-time information, and simplifying /re-engineering core activities and processes, officers will be able to spend more time policing and less time undertaking administration.
New organisational structure – this will focus on developing the most efficient organisational structure based on the requirements set out by the new operating model.
Lean and digital working – maximising efficiency through the use of other technology (non- mobile), reducing internal demand and stakeholder expectations, re-negotiating contracts and further cutting out waste through Lean projects.
Collaboration – this seeks to identify partnership opportunities that reduce delivery costs. For example work has already started on:
- introducing a joint control room for the Fire and Police Services
- increased partnership working between SoJP and Jersey Customs and Immigration Service,
- Joint work on mental health issues with Health and Social Services Department.
Further collaboration is also expected through eGov initiatives.
- What effect she expects there will be on public safety of reduced enquiry desk opening hours, changes to the lost and found' service and the referral of matters to other agencies as part of incident resolution?
It is not envisaged that public safety will be adversely affected by any of the savings strategies and initiatives. However, the public may see changes to the way in which existing services are delivered.
- Will she further inform members what proposals she has for changes to pay grades for civilian staff and a review of Police terms and conditions and pension changes? What effect does she expect that such changes will have on public safety?
Work on the revised pay grades for civilian staff forms part of the Workforce Modernisation element of the Public Sector Reform Programme that is in progress. The outcome of any changes to civilian staff at SoJP will not be known until the process is complete.
Along with other uniformed services, a review of Police Officer terms and conditions of service has recently started and is currently expected to complete in Quarter 4, 2017. Proposals are under development and will be discussed with the Police Association and others in due course.
Changes to the Police pension scheme are already in effect for new recruits, and will take effect for existing officers on 1 January 2019. The main change is an increase in contribution rates for both the employer and employee. In addition, the Normal Retirement Age for a Police Officer is expected to increase to age 60. It is not anticipated that these changes will affect public safety.
- In asking the States to endorse the budget for savings in 2017, will she inform members what further plans she has under consideration to meet her targets for 2018 and 2019?
Initial work has been completed to ensure the proposed SoJP savings can be met. Much of the savings for 2018 and 2019 will depend on the effective design of SoJP's new operating model and the introduction of mobile technology. Both these projects are not yet at a stage to commit to definitive final savings, which precludes more detailed budgets from being developed for 2018 and 2019. It is further hoped that reductions in non-uniformed staff headcount can be achieved, wherever possible, through natural wastage and without recourse to formal redundancy programmes.
As such, the Chief Officer of Police naturally has a degree of flexibility in how the proposed savings are delivered, recognising the over-riding priority to limit any adverse impact to public safety or island security.
ENDS