Report reveals recruitment problems for police in Guernsey

Police were under "significant pressure early in 2021," the report said

Guernsey's law enforcement services saw a "significant underspend" in 2021 due to recruitment problems.

An annual report said the year was "challenging" due to the pandemic and "the implications of the UK withdrawal from the European Union".

Police officers from the UK were brought in to Guernsey in 2021 to make up for the shortfall in staff.

A "further increase in the number of illegal drug importations" also "tested resources", it said.

Ruari Hardy, head of Bailiwick Law Enforcement (BLE), said he was "pleased" there had been a "significant underspend" as Guernsey now faced "a challenging financial situation" ahead.

"These savings were made possible primarily by working with a reduced workforce driven by difficulties in attracting suitable new recruits," he said.

The report said recruitment campaigns for the Guernsey Border Agency and police force failed to reach the numbers hoped for.

It said the shortage of available police officers at the end of 2021 required short-term additional support from 10 police officers from UK forces.

Mr Hardy warned: "Going forward the public expectation of services will become even more challenging to deliver unless our staffing numbers recover to pre-Covid levels."

'Disturbing events'

Mr Hardy said services were under "significant pressures" in January and February 2021 during the wave of the Delta variant of Covid-19 when many operational staff were unavailable but that "essential services were maintained to a high standard".

He added that "recent high-profile and disturbing events" in the UK had "damaged public confidence in policing" but that bosses "remain constantly vigilant locally".

He also said the "ongoing and emerging impact of Brexit upon a number of border functions" needed to be highlighted.

He said: "BLE is continually seeking to make gains with Brexit-related work but these changes have exposed issues that require an ongoing piece of work to ensure that the Bailiwick does not become disadvantaged."

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