Police Complaints Commission laments slow pace of change

The document, which was released as an appendix for the September States meeting, reveals that this is the first time in two years an annual report has been published.

In 2017, the commission was notified of seven complaints, of which it supervised two which were concluded in 2018. In both cases the committee concluded that the investigations had been conducted to its satisfaction. The other five complaints required no further action.

Then last year the commission was notified of four complaints, two were supervised and came to a conclusion in that year. Both were conducted to the commission’s satisfaction, one was appealed in 2019. The remaining two required no further action.

Confidentiality meant there are no specific details of individual complaints.

Police complaints commission chairman Stewart Chisholm said it was important for the commission to meet Home Affairs at the end of each year.

During 2017 and 2018 they met in an attempt to progress proposed changes to police complaints legislation, which were identified in 2014, but the work has not progressed significantly.

‘The commission is disappointed at the lack of progress on securing the changes and acknowledges the unavoidable pressures which have impacted resources since the UK’s referendum on Brexit,’ Mr Chisholm said.

‘The commission is encouraged by the appointment of Ruari Hardy as the new head of law enforcement and looks forward to working closely with him in 2019 to further progress legislative changes and other non-statutory improvements to the process.’

He said the commission was committed to working with Home Affairs and Guernsey Police to ensure there was a robust system in place locally to provide public confidence in the police complaints process.

‘The commissioners’ tenacity in driving forward reforms is to be commended, especially in light of conflicting priorities and frustrations in progressing work which we agree is necessary to make the complaints process more fit for purpose and to reassure members of the community that complaints about the conduct of police officers are dealt with fairly, confidentially and efficiently,’ Mr Chisholm said.

The commission has raised concerns about how limited its statutory role is.

‘We [the commission and Home Affairs] are in agreement that there is scope for enhancing this area of 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,’ the report states.

‘While the commission acknowledges that amendments to legislation take time to progress, it is frustrated with the general lack of progress in bringing forward proposals for positive change.

‘As members of the public, the commission has a unique insight into the force and considers that there may be opportunities for the commission to take on additional responsibilities.’

So far this year the commission has been having productive discussions with Mr Hardy and is hopeful of making progress this year on enhancing its role.

The commission supports the principle of Border Agency officers being under the police complaints process, but understands that this will require a fundamental change to their terms and conditions.