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Chief Officer's Response to C&AG Review - Executive response required by the PAC on or before: 23 April 2018
Comptroller and Auditor General's Review: Police Governance
Police Governance: request for response
Having noted with interest the 14 recommendations, the PAC agreed to request a formal response to the C&AG's recent report on Police Governance, published on 22nd March 2018, from the Chief Executive and the Chief Officer, Community and Constitutional Affairs Department, confirming:
- the extent to which the recommendations are accepted by the Department(s),
- clarification, if relevant, as to why any of the recommendations may not be accepted, and;
- the actions taken (or that will be taken) to implement the recommendations.
The Committee would be grateful to receive your response as soon as possible, and in any event not later than 23rd April 2018. Introduction:
Recommendations
Recommendations | To | Accept/ Reject | Comments | Target date of action/ completion |
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Overall arrangements R1 Enhance the resources available to the Police Authority to discharge its functions, including by establishing and implementing a | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | The Minister will be advised of the need to bring forward an amendment to the States of Jersey Police Force Law 2012 in order to clarify that inspections by HMIC will be undertaken at a routine frequency. Sufficient resources will be made available for more routine Crown | End of 2019 |
routine frequency for independent inspections of the States of Jersey Police. |
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| inspections. |
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R2 Enhance the training and support available to members of the Police Authority to enhance their ability to discharge their responsibilities. | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | The Chair of the Jersey Police Authority will be consulted regarding any additional training and support that may be required. | End of 2018 |
R3 Review whether it remains appropriate for the States Assembly to elect two members of the Police Authority. | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | The Minister will be advised of the need to reconsider this aspect of membership, with any legislative changes being brought forward in due course in order to match the position in Scotland and Ireland, thus reinforcing the operational independence of the Police Force. | End of 2019 |
R4 Develop proposals to amend the statutory duties of the Police Authority to ensure that they are focussed on oversight and improvement. | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | The Minister will be advised of the need to bring forward the required legislative changes. | End of 2019 |
R5 In light of experience of the operation of the States of Jersey Police Force Law 2012 and the practice in other jurisdictions, develop proposals to amend legislation relating to the allocation of powers and duties to reinforce further the operational independence of the States of Jersey Police. | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | The Minister will be presented with proposals and appropriate amendments to the Law will be developed. | End of 2019 |
R6 Establish and document revised non- statutory arrangements relating to the governance of the States of Jersey Police, including: | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | These matters will be addressed at the same time as the proposals above and amendments to the Law will be developed as required. | End of 2019 |
ending the current arrangement of the Chief Executive serving as line manager for the Chief of Police; and enhancing the role of the Police Authority. |
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R7 Evaluate whether the role of the Police Authority could be extended to cover other services where operational independence is important. | Chief Officer, CCA and CEO of the States | Accept | This evaluation will be considered as part of the further development of a new Target Operating Model and will be considered as part of consultation on, and implementation of, the proposed new model. | Ongoing |
Human resources R8 Ensure that internal operating procedures clearly document the respective roles of different parties for police human resources issues. | Chief Officer, CCA and Manager, Senior Employment Relations | Accept | These matters will be addressed at the same time as the proposals are developed to amend the 2012 Law (as previously referenced). Amendments to the Law in this regard will be developed where required and presented to the Minister. | End of 2019 |
R9 Routinely review and update the Police Terms and Conditions of Service in response to changes in legislation. | Manager, Senior Employment Relations | Accept | This will be addressed in the first instance by a Uniformed Services Review, which is due to be initiated in the next month, and will include pay and Terms and Conditions of Service. | Ongoing |
R10 Where another department advises a Minister, involve the lead department for a ministerial portfolio to ensure that: where Ministers are asked to exercise statutory powers, civil servants prepare written advice weighing the advantages and disadvantages of different options; and all Ministerial Decisions are properly | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | No further comment. | Ongoing |
recorded using the standard template and are centrally held. |
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R11 To reinforce the operational independence of the States of Jersey Police, bring forward proposals to amend legislation to reassign human resources responsibilities from the Minister for Home Affairs to the Chief of Police and Police Authority. | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | The Minister will be advised of the need to amend the relevant legislation and changes will be brought forward in due course. | End of 2019 |
Finance R12 Separately identify the resources allocated to the States of Jersey Police in the Medium Term Financial Plan. | Chief Officer, CCA and Director of Finance, CCA | Accept | To be considered as part of the next MTFP. | Lodging of the next MTFP |
R13 Give the Police Authority a routine role in advising Ministers in respect of the budget for the States of Jersey Police. | Chief Officer, CCA | Accept | This will be considered as part of the changes to the 2012 Law. | End of 2019 |
R14 Align service and financial planning for the States of Jersey Police by moving to a multi-year Policing Plan. | Chief Officer, CCA and Chair of the Jersey Police Authority | Accept | The current Police plan now covers a two-year period in order to align the plan with the latter half of the four-year MTFP period. | Completed |
Conclusion: