Community Policing to return in each of Jersey's parishes

Police car parked in housing estate in Jersey
ITV Channel TV Credit: The States of Jersey Police (SoJP) are to recruit 30 new officers, including 16 who will form the community policing team.

Parishes in Jersey will soon have their own dedicated police officer.

Parishioners will be able contact their assigned officer by email, phone or face-to-face during regular police surgeries.

It comes as the States of Jersey Police (SoJP) are to recruit 30 new officers, including 16 who will form the community policing team.

Those in the community policing team will spend time building relationships with parishioners and working with key partners to address issues that matter most to those residents.

Jersey's Chief of Police says community policing is about "getting back to basics" and is an "integral part" of the island's policing culture and tradition.

States of Jersey Police says a 'buddy' system has been set up so that a pool of select community officers can provide cover in other parishes, should the need arise.

Jersey's Minister for Home Affairs says the additional Government funding, which was granted last year, "has enabled the force to strengthen in numbers".