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The States-funded and supported commission that oversees complaints against Guernsey Police admits it could do a "better job" of ensuring public confidence in the complaints process and the Force itself.
The role of the Guernsey Police Complaints Commission is to provide 'independent oversight' of the investigation of complaints made against police officer conduct.
The Commission has sight of all the complaints made to the police, registering seven appeals in 2019 and four in 2020, none of which were upheld.
No detail has been provided about the four cases that were "actively supervised" during those two years, in the PCC's annual report. Its Chairman, Robert Jordan, writes that confidentiality restricts not only "specific details of individual complaints", but "even brief summaries", as they could "potentially risk identifying the complainant, or the officer concerned."
He writes: "This is compounded by the low number of complaints supervised which is also reflective of the low-level of serious complaints received by the force, that is those which, if proven would amount to misconduct or gross misconduct."
Pictured: Commissioners are appointed by the States of Deliberation on the recommendation of the Committee for Home Affairs. There are currently two vacant positions.
Mr Jordan raised concerns about the limitations of the Commission's statutory role in supervising investigations.
“We continue to believe that there is scope for enhancing the Commission’s responsibility to better support the original objectives of the police complaints process; that is to ensure public confidence in the complaints process and the Force in general.
“In the meantime, the Commission is committed to increasing the accessibility of the complaints process and hopes to be able to produce information to assist complainants through the process.
“The Commission consider that it could do a better job of supporting those who wish to express dissatisfaction about the service they receive without risking the integrity of the process.
The Commission is funded from the general revenue of Home Affairs – which has political responsibility for Guernsey Police - and is supported by staff from the Home Office.
Mr Jordan said: “Whilst the Commission recognises that receiving administrative and technical support from staff employed by the Committee responsible for police is not ideal, the Commission firmly believes that the support it receives is delivered impartially and objectively.”
Despite that, the Commission recommends that the current arrangements “should be considered” alongside the ongoing legislative review of its functions.
“We all agree that changes are necessary to make the complaints process fit for purpose and to re-assure members of the community that complaints about the conduct of police officers are dealt with fairly, confidentially and efficiently,” said the PCC’s Chairman.
In 2018, the UK conducted a review into the way police complaints are handled, and published a number of findings. Locally, the police complaints legislation is also being reviewed.
That work has been delayed and remains unfinished, with Brexit cited as the one of the main causes.
However, Mr Jordan puts that into context, expressing “disappointment” that little progress has been made on securing the legislative changes which the Commission has been anticipating “for a number of years now.”
He added: “The Commission acknowledge that there have been pressures, including the impact of Brexit and a UK Policing Review, which have led to delays in progressing this work and other non-statutory improvements to the process."
Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs, described the PCC as “one of the pillars of public trust in Guernsey Police”.
Pictured: The Committee for Home Affairs provided £4,360 of remuneration for the Commissioner’s time in 2019 and £2,581.20 in 2020. This sum does not include estimations for the cost of time given by Home Affairs staff to support the Commission.
He vowed that his Committee will continue to progress the legislative review, despite the work not being labelled a priority of the Committee’s in the latest iteration of the Government Work Plan.
“When stakeholders have considered the findings of the UK review, they will report back to the Committee," a spokesperson for the Committee added.
"It will then be able to make recommendations to the States about what changes are necessary.
“This work was not prioritised under the Government Work Plan, however the President has committed to progressing it under BAU [business as usual].”
The PCC's annual report can be read in full HERE.
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