A political body could be set up to oversee a review of Guernsey’s police complaints system.
The President of the Committee for Home Affairs was put on the spot answering questions about the review earlier this week.
He told Deputy Jayne Ozanne that the review of the police complaints regime is one of utmost importance for his committee.
“The project team is populated by suitably experienced officers from across the office of the Committee of Home Affairs, Guernsey Police, and the Law Officers chambers, and it reports into the political committee,” explained Deputy Marc Leadbeater.
“The committee will keep the membership of the project team under review and will expand should additional expertise be needed,” he added.
“There is a commitment to consult and also to engage with previous complainants to ensure that their experiences are fully considered.”
Deputy Ozanne asked Deputy Leadbeater a series of questions about the review of the police complaints process, citing a past review that found a number of concerns among members of the public, including quotes from some people who said they did not feel it worthwhile complaining because those complaints would not be taken seriously.
“There was a feeling that even when there are independent complaints processes in place the system, ie the States, protects itself, and the States report recommended at the time that a review should also examine public perspectives on the existing complaint systems for the States. However, here we are, it seems, with yet another internal operational review. So could I ask Deputy Leadbeater, to what extent the Committee has considered the need for the project team to not just have the requisite expertise, but also to have members who hold the requisite public confidence for its findings and recommendations to be trusted?”
Deputy Leadbeater insisted that the people who will sit on the review committee are experienced experts in this field and are trusted.
He said they are looking forward, and not looking backwards at past reviews.
Deputy Gavin St Pier suggested that some political oversight from outside the Committee for Home Affairs would be useful in this case, to help build confidence in the police complaints process.
Deputy Leadbeater said he would be happy for a political sub-committee to be set up, which Deputy Ozanne would be invited to join, alongside Deputy Rob Curgenven and Deputy Gavin St Pier.
“I was discussing this idea with my Committee Secretary,” he confirmed. “I’ve yet to be able to discuss it with the Committee in full, because we’ve not met since this has been tossed around, but a political oversight group could have some merit, and in my thinking, the political oversight group would consist of me as the Chair and the interested parties as Deputy Ozanne is the asker of the questions, and Deputy Curgenven and Deputy St Pier as also interested parties. So this is my suggestion that I’m going to bring to my Committee next week and ask them to approve.”