Law enforcement vacancies in Guernsey at critical level

The chief of police has previously said due to the staff shortages the force is relying on overtime

Vacancies across services run by Guernsey's Home Affairs Committee are at a critical level, according to a top official.

Director of Operations Dave Le Ray said there were 28 in law enforcement alone - the highest number ever.

The new Financial Crime Bureau is running 35% below its target operating model, with a total of 19 vacancies.

At a scrutiny meeting Mr Le Ray said: "These are record high vacancies for law enforcement."

He said despite this "we are able to progress investigations".

The Home Affairs scrutiny meeting heard there were record vacancies in law enforcement

Phil Breban, Deputy Chief Officer at Guernsey Police, said: "There are areas we have had to refocus. Areas of business that have suffered, are our neighbourhood police team.

"We've had to adjust other areas, our roads policing team isn't to the capacity we'd like it to be to focus on road safety.

"We've had to adjust our training regime so officers can't complete the training they want to."

The cost of housing in Guernsey was cited by the committee as the prime reason why Bailiwick Law Enforcement - the police and the border agency - was struggling to recruit.

President of the Home Affairs Committee Deputy Rob Prow addressed the issue of whether the Financial Crime Bureau (FCB) was up to the challenge of the Moneyval inspection - the financial monitoring body of the Council of Europe.

He said: "It is a concern and it is a challenge. But I have absolute confidence in the FCB to think outside the box and recruit more people."

"I am confident in our preparedness for the Moneyval inspection."

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