In August 2024, Guernsey amended its Police Complaints Regulations to allow for an “initial scoping process” for complaints, which Home Affairs says allows authorities to assess the complaint’s validity and seriousness early on.
Concerns have been raised about this new processbut this week Home Affairs reiterated its commitment to carrying out a review of the new process.
Supporters of the new process say it aims to prioritise serious complaints and weed out frivolous ones, that it streamlines investigations, and that it reduces pressure on the Professional Standards Department.
“As a Committee we are certain we have acted appropriately and proportionately in relation to the regulation changes – which simply seek to bring us more in line with the complaints process followed in England,” said Deputy Rob Prow, the President of Home Affairs.
“We believe following much engagement and discussion we have demonstrated that to the wider Assembly, who did not lay a motion to annul the regulation change.
“We now intend to conduct a full and comprehensive review of Police Complaints Legislation, as directed by the States.”
Pictured: (Left) Deputy Rob Prow, President of Home Affairs, and (Left) the Committee’s Vice-President, Deputy Simon Vermeulen.
Deputy Simon Vermeulen, the Committee’s Vice-President added: “There is a persistent myth that the Committee is responsible for all complaints made to the police, when in fact we are the Appropriate Authority only for those complaints made against the most senior officers, and even then those complaints are investigated by an outside force.
“In reality, the independent Police Complaints Commission have oversight for all police complaints, and play an important role in Regulation 6A as well. It is vital that the police complaints legislation in Guernsey is robust and transparent so people do have a route to raise issues with their interactions with the police, but it is also a fact of life that sometimes the police engage with people who do not welcome that police involvement.
“Just because thatis the case does not always mean the police – who work so hard to protect our community – did something wrong.”
Pictured Damian Kitchen when he spoke to Guernsey’s media for the first time, and promised to “root people out, that shouldn’t be in public service”.
Damian Kitchen, Guernsey’s new Head of Law Enforcement and Chief Officer of Guernsey Police, has also supported the new process, despite being just weeks in to his new role.
“Regulation 6A is a significant improvement to Guernsey’s Police Complaints Legislation, which, in this area of police complaints, brings our force more in line with the processes used by forces in England and Wales. It is a way for Professional Standards to accurately assess complaints and avoid the unnecessary diversion of police resources because of inefficient processes.
“The data the Committee is publishing today shows we are not frivolously using this new process. I remain committed to taking all concerns raised by the community seriously, however the process must also be fair for our police officers.”
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