UK officers brought in to cover 10% shortfall in Guernsey's police force

A new report by Bailiwick Law Enforcement reveals that the number of officers in 2021 was down by almost 10% compared to the previous year.

Retirement and resignation have been named as the cause of the decline in numbers last year.

At the end of 2021, officers from the UK were drafted in to work in Guernsey to maintain safe levels of operation in the force.

Ruari Hardy, head of Bailiwick Law Enforcement, says whilst efforts have been made this year to hire more officers, the force is still below its minimum number of 150 frontline officers.

He says: "We now continue to build the workforce we've got. We will continue with more local recruitment but it is also about upskilling those who are now in the organisation and helping them develop into fully-effective members of law enforcement."

The force has had to pull officers from other areas in order to fill frontline positions.

The report also reveals that crime figures were down in 2021 compared to previous years.

Chief Officer Hardy says: "I think we are just carrying on doing what we do well - engaging with our communities.

"In 2021 we employed a new Crime Prevention Officer to work in that community space of crime prevention."

The impact of Brexit on the force is highlighted in the report, with the Bailiwick's customs and immigration regimes undergoing significant changes.

Additional controls on the movement of goods and people between the Bailiwick and the EU were introduced, but Chief Officer Hardy says officers "stepped up and really did perform brilliantly despite the pressures.

Whilst he says "things are going back to normal", the force is focusing on its recruitment drive so this year numbers will return to pre-pandemic levels.