Police complaints system set to be updated

Deputy Rob Prow said it was important for the police to have a "robust" complaints process

The system that deals with complaints about Guernsey Police is set to be updated.

The Committee for Home Affairs has been reviewing the current law, which it said had "limitations which can cause frustration for both complainants and Guernsey Police".

The review "needed to promote confidence in the complaints process and in the police generally" is ongoing with an update to the law expected to be placed before the end of this political term - June 2025.

The committee said it wanted to "ensure that matters are dealt with proportionately".

'Robust process'

Complaints to Guernsey Police are investigated by the Professional Standards Department and these investigations are reviewed by the Police Complaints Commission or the Committee for Home Affairs.

Complaints about senior officers are the responsibility of the Appropriate Authority, which is the committee, and it can ask a UK police force to investigate.

A complainant can also appeal the results of an investigation to the Royal Court.

The committee believes the Police Complaints Commission role should be expanded.

The Police Complaints (Guernsey) Law was last updated in 2008.

The committee plans to being in a system for the initial assessment of complaints, which would verify their validity, a process which is currently followed in the UK.

Deputy Rob Prow, committee president, said: "The police would acknowledge that it’s impossible for them to always get everything right, so it’s incredibly important that we have a robust process in place so that all parties can have confidence that complaints are addressed fairly.

"It’s important to both the committee and police for public trust to be maintained, and our current legislation was agreed 16 years ago so is overdue for a review."