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Consistently lower crime counts and Jersey’s ‘first ever’ no-crime days were some of the highs in a ‘rollercoaster’ year for the police force - but the pandemic also brought many lows, including record figures for domestic abuse and slower call-out times.
The latest figures outlining the island’s crime rates were published in the States of Jersey Police annual report this month, which this year covers the period of 2019 and 2020.
In the document’s foreword, Chief of Police Robin Smith, who described starting his new position in January 2020 as a “baptism of fire”, said he is impressed with the statistics and information in this year’s report.
Pictured: The States of Jersey Police annual report outlines the policing priorities and crime statistics from 2019 and 2020.
“I have an enormous sense of pride for what the force achieved further enhancing our reputation for being there to help and support the island,” he said.
“It’s been a remarkable rollercoaster journey and one I would have not missed for the world.
“And as we slowly come out of the shadow of the pandemic my focus is and always will be to catch criminals, protecting vulnerable people and get there quickly when you need us.”
Express takes a look at some of the key statistics revealed in the report…
Reflecting on the last two years, the Chair of the Jersey Police Authority Dr Jason Lane said the beginning of 2020 was a “significantly challenging” and “unprecedented” time for the force.
“The arrival of the global pandemic onto our shores in the early weeks of the year, brought fear and worry with it,” he said.
“With lockdown in place, naturally this had an effect on recorded crimes.”
The annual report states that crime counts in 2020 were “consistently lower” than the same period in 2019.
Pictured: All recorded crimes in 2020 according to offence.
Crime in 2020 was down 10% on the 2017 to 2019 average, while April and December had the “lowest crime totals on record”, with only 4 nighttime economy offences reported.
The police also experienced its first-ever crime-free days, with no offences recorded on the 6, 9 and 22 December 2020.
The report states that the total number of crimes in 2020 was 2972, compared to 3394 in 2019 and 3282 in 2018. 23% of those crimes were for common assault.
Pictured: Number of checks related to pandemic measures enforced by the police.
During the pandemic, the police force carried out thousands of visits to homes and restaurants to enforce isolation and quarantine measures.
This included 1668 visits to properties, 1169 visits to restaurants and licensed premises, and 2238 visits to parks and beaches.
During the pandemic, local agencies and domestic abuse charities raised concerns over lockdown pressures increasing levels of domestic violence.
At the end of May 2020, Ben Robins, chairman for the Jersey Women’s Refuge, reported that the pressures of life in a lockdown environment had caused a “significant up-tick” in calls to the charity’s helplines.
The charity urged islanders to act as “eyes and ears” for the police, alongside a Government safeguarding campaign: ‘See It, Hear It, Report It’.
According to the annual report, domestic crime and incidents both fell in a linear fashion during the second half of 2020.
Pictured: All recorded domestic crime in 2020 by category
Domestic crime in 2020 was 2% down on the 2017 to 2019 average, with two thirds of these crimes involving common and grave and criminal assault.
However, police recorded 1327 domestic incidences in 2019, the highest figure recorded in the States of Jersey Police electronic records, which began in 2008.
Next month, domestic abuse could become a specific offence in Jersey, after a new law was proposed by Home Affairs Minister Gregory Guida.
The Domestic Abuse Law would make behaviours such as longstanding coercion and control punishable, as well as allowing more serious punishment if a child is involved or if someone is pregnant.
The report states that 136 sexual offences were recorded in 2020, with a detection rate of 15%. 49 of these offences were against children, with 14 involving victims under the age of 13.
Earlier this month, results from the Children and Young People’s 2021 survey, produced by Statistics Jersey, revealed that one in five children know someone who they think is a victim of child sexual exploitation.
Pictured: 14 sexual offences in 2020 resulted in Court appearances.
The survey also found that one in three female students has been subjected to inappropriate comments or unwanted sexual attention in the last year in Jersey, compared to just one in 10 boys.
The annual police report highlights that Jersey joined the National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness day on 18 March 2019 to encourage senior leaders and figures in Jersey to raise awareness and join the conversation on social media.
The average length of time it takes police officers to arrive at emergencies was consistently longer in 2020 compared to 2019.
In 2020, grade 1 response times (the highest level of call-out) were 20 seconds slower on average than in 2019, while grade 2 response times were on average 2 minutes slower.
The report states that there were three notable periods where 2020 grade 1 times were an average of 3–4 seconds slower than 2019 – around late June, late July and late November.
Grade 2 response times in 2020 were consistently slower than 2019, notably in April (lockdown), late May and mid-June.
Last month, the Government released a report outlining Jersey’s alcohol habits, revealing that nearly one-in-five crimes recorded by the police in 2020 involved alcohol.
Many of these crimes occurred in the night-time economy of St Helier, where a total of 196 offences were recorded in 2020, compared to 318 in 2019. In 2020, 63% of offences were assault.
For the two lockdown months of April and December in 2020, there were only four recorded night-time economy offences.
Police also cracked down on drink-driving and launched a joint campaign with the emergency services ahead of the 2020 Christmas period.
Pictured: 143 cases of drink-driving were recorded in 2020.
Over the last three years, figures show an increase in the level of arrests and convictions of drink-driving in Jersey. Between January and November of 2020, there were 143 cases of drink-driving recorded.
The highest recorded figure for alcohol levels was in January 2020; a driver was found to have 104mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal driving limit is 80mg per 100ml.
According to the report, 113 complaints were made against States of Jersey Police officers in 2020.
Almost two thirds of complaints were related to the use of force and abuse of authority, or performance of duties. Others related to confidentiality, general conduct, and politeness and tolerance.
Pictured: Category of complaints made against States of Jersey Police Officers.
41 complaints were met with an informal resolution, 21 referred to the Jersey Police Complaints Authority, and six resulted in management action or a Chief Officer’s hearing. The remainder were unsubstantiated or are ongoing.
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