Jersey's Police Chief to step down

Wednesday 03 May 2017

He may have become a familiar face as you walk down King Street at lunchtime, but Mike Bowron’s patrol days are numbered, as the Chief Officer today announced his retirement from the Police.

It's a surprise announcement as only last year Mr Bowron said he was planning to stay until 2021.

Born and bred in London, Mr Bowron moved to Jersey as Chief Officer in the beginning of 2011 and now, six-and-a-half years later, the longest serving Chief of Police in Britain has decided to hang up his hat for good.

He said: “Having completed 37 years in policing serving in 4 great forces, Sussex, Kent, City of London and Jersey I have decided to retire.”

“This September marks my normal retirement age of 60 as well as being the 20^th anniversary of my appointment as a Chief Officer, making me by far the longest serving Chief in Great Britain."

"Now that we are occupying our new HQ I feel that I have met all the goals and challenges I set myself when I arrived in Jersey at the beginning of 2011.  I feel very proud of all that I have achieved with my team and I hope that the public have noticed a difference in how policing is delivered as well as feeling safer than ever before.”

His retirement may come as a surprise to some. It was only last September that Mr Bowron sat down with Express and shared his plans to retire in 2021:

In September he told Express: “...recently I was voted in unopposed for another four years, which means the public are lumbered with me until January 4th 2021.”

“I am now the longest servicing chief of police in Great Britain and in my 37th year of policing. When you see those fuzzy old pictures of the miners' strike in 1984, I was there. When you see pictures of the Brighton bombing in 1983, I was there. When you see the pictures of the London bombings in 2007, I was there. I was at the bombing at Aldgate East."

“I think my wife deserves a life without policing and there are other things I’d like to do. I’ll be 63 by then. But I love my job and I genuinely love the people I work with.” 

But, whilst his retirement this year may come earlier than originally expected, Mr Bowron leaves the force with fond memories of the Jersey public.

He extended his thanks to the people of Jersey and said: “I wish to thank the people of Jersey for their fantastic support during my time in office and I will miss meeting them on my daily patrol. I will also miss my wonderful team of officers and support staff for whom I have developed a deep affection.  They are true professionals and work hard to keep us safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  We should all be very proud of them.”

Home Affairs Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore commented:

the Minister for Home Affairs, Deputy Kristina Moore, has made the following statement:

“I am truly grateful to the chief officer for the exemplary leadership he has provided to the States of Jersey Police since his appointment in 2011.

“Mike has overseen significant improvements to the force, which have undoubtedly resulted in a greatly enhanced level of public confidence in the police. I have seen for myself the commitment and professionalism of officers under Mike’s leadership and how in touch they are with the public they serve.

“Mike has also implemented a very successful staff development programme, which has ensured that local officers will be much better equipped to undertake senior roles in the force in the years ahead.

“Mike will leave an enduring legacy, and whilst I am disappointed to be losing a chief officer of such ability, I fully understand his decision to retire. On behalf of the people of Jersey, I wish Mike all the very best for his future retirement.”