Police focus on improving public trust in Guernsey

Chief officer Damian Kitchen wants to continue victims of crimes to come forward and report them

The Bailiwick Law Enforcement has released its three-year strategy to improve policing on the island.

It sets out five key areas where the force will be looking in particular to make a difference.

These include putting victims first, community engagement and bringing offenders to justice.

The strategy is based on feedback from the public on the areas that they would like to see the force improve. The three main areas were the safety of people in the night time economy, victim journey, from reporting the crime to the outcome and road safety.

Chief officer Damian Kitchen said: "There has been real success with sexual offences, there have been more people coming forward... that is underpinned by public confidence."

He added: "Everybody is watching to see what we do with that information.

"It's no good collecting that information and getting the feedback if you don't act on it.

"So what this allows us to do it consolidate that feedback, but it into a plan underpinned by the highest professional standard in the service".

Communication with the public is thought to be key to improving trust in the force, said Chief Officer Kitchen.

He added: "Police officers are members of the community first and foremost.

"They are human beings, police officers make mistakes like we all do.

"The vast majority things that we get wrong can be rectified with an apology, or with some learning.

"Its important that I set standards... if somebody goes beyond that mistake and treads into misconduct... the pubic want to see us be really robust about that".

On an island community like Guernsey, policing can be tough especially when it comes to high profile cases.

Chief Officer Kitchen said: "I have a very simple approach to this, nobody is above the law."