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The States watchdog says progress has been made on improving police governance but a lack of evidence, including vanished meeting minutes and the absence of formal targets, has made it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the force as a whole.
The findings were outlined in a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), Lynn Pamment into the Governance of the States of Jersey Police.
The document was published as a follow-up to the Jersey Audit Office’s 2018 review, which made a series of recommendations to enhance the accountability and operational independence of the force.
These included strengthening the resources of the Police Authority and committing to routine independent inspection.
Pictured: Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), Lynn Pamment.
Ms Pamment found that ten of the 14 recommendations made in the 2018 report had been fully or partially implemented but concluded that further steps should be taken to enhance the governance arrangements of the police force.
The C&AG found that, whilst the Police Authority is working well with the States of Jersey Police, the capacity and expertise to develop plans, set targets, analyse budgets and hold the police to account have not been available.
Following the 2018 report, the States Assembly voted to amend the States of Jersey Police Force Law 2012 (the amended Law) in May 2021.
The amended Law requires the Police Authority to prepare both an Annual Policing Plan and a Four-Year Policing Plan, as well as arrange an independent inspection of the police force at least every four years.
Pictured: Ten of the 14 recommendations made in the 2018 report on police governance were fully or partially implemented.
The report found that while a Four-Year Plan was developed for 2022–2023, it has not been updated on a rolling basis and is now out of date.
Annual Policing Plans have not been developed in detail since that Four-Year plan, and have not been provided to the States Assembly as required by the Law.
Commenting on these shortcomings, Ms Pamment said: “The Police Authority is not yet adequately resourced and supported in a way that enables it to undertake its functions.”
The report also concluded that a shortage of formal objectives made it difficult for the Police Authority to assess the States of Jersey Police overall.
Ms Pamment said: “The Chief Police Officer demonstrates efficiency and effectiveness through the various reporting channels to his own Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Police Authority.
“However, as no high-level objectives have been set by the Minister or the Police Authority, it is difficult to make an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of the SOJP as a whole."
Pictured: Lynn Pamment said performance was not 'formally linked' to efficiency and effectiveness.
Meetings take place between the Chair of the States of Jersey Police and the Chair of the Police Authority on a monthly basis.
Quarterly meetings, referred to as the Performance Management Board, also take place between the Police Authority and the SLT.
“Whilst there are meetings where performance information is presented and debated, performance is not formally linked to efficiency and effectiveness and no decisions or actions are recorded,” she said.
Ms Pamment added that she had not been provided with any formal papers or minutes of any of the Police Authority meetings or records of any decisions taken.
“I have been informed that all the agenda packs and minutes have been lost in a transfer of data to the ‘Cloud’,” she added.
“This raises important issues about business continuity, data security and back up of files which needs to be explored.”
The Police Authority has been awarded additional funding in the Government Plan 2022–2025, totalling £459,000, which includes resources for training members.
Ms Pamment concluded that there should be a ‘further assessment in due course’ as to whether the planned additional resources will enable the Police Authority to undertake all its functions effectively.
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