Good afternoon, my name is Malcolm L’Amy, and I used to hold the title of Centenier and Chef de Police for the Parish of St. Peter. I am here to talk about the Honorary Police system of Jersey, and the fact that the system of policing in Jersey dates back over 500 years. It is believed that the Honorary Police System of Jersey is the oldest remaining policing system in the world; older than the Vatican Guard. In 2007, I was asked by the then Chief Officer to the States of Jersey Police, Mr Graham Power, to give a talk to Chief Constables from the UK about the system of honorary policing in Jersey. I was given three topics to talk on;-

The structure and History of the Honorary Police.

Its function and partnership with the professional police service of Jersey, the States of Jersey Police and finally

The Future of Honorary Policing in Jersey amid an ever changing world.

I have adapted that talk and PowerPoint presentation for you today. Many hours went into researching the subject and I can only give a very brief history about this unique system in the time available. I hope that there will be time at the end for questions. All three subjects are complex and time does not permit me to detail all aspects of this system; a system that Jersey should be proud of. At

1 | P a g e times, those in power fail to recognise the dedication that so many honorary officers give, not only to their Parish, but to this Island.

The Island has 13 Police Forces. 12 Honorary Forces and one Paid Police Force, the States of Jersey Police. Each honorary Force has a Chef de Police and each force is connected to a Parish.

It has been said that the Jersey Honorary Police System is the oldest police force in the world. I need to explain the structure of the system or ranks. There are 12 Connétables who are the head of the ancient Parishes. They are elected to the position and are also members of the States of Jersey. Apart from their political role, they also have the power of a police officer, but rarely do they use this power in current times. The next position in the Honorary Police Structure is the Centeniers and one of them will become Chef de Police. At one time, if the Connétable was unable to attend a sitting of the States, then the Chef de Police would attend and have voting rights in his place. The Centeniers have all the powers of a police officer, as described in the 1974 Police Force Jersey Law, and can arrest a person on suspicion of committing an offence. The Centeniers and Connétables are the only people able to charge an offender and will bring that offender before the Magistrates Court. The next officer in the structure is the Vingtenier and then the Constables Officer or CO for short. The numbers of officers vary between each Parish and if a Parish cannot find a person to be Centenier then the Parish may face a fine starting

2 | P a g e at £5000.00, depending on the rates income for the Parish. All positions are unpaid, unlike the Connétables, and great responsibility is vested in the Centeniers with regard to charging and bailing of offenders.

But before I go into too much detail about the current structure I need to, for a moment, give a quick history lesson on Jersey. In 933, the Channel Islands were annexed to the then Duke of Normandy and it is therefore reasonable to assume that no distinction was made between continental Normandy and the Islands.

In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, after defeating Harold, King of England, at the Battle of Hastings, became King of England and England and Normandy remained under one Sovereignty until 1077. The two domains, continental Normandy and the Channel Islands were divided until they again became reunited in 1105 and remained united until 1204, when on the defection of the Norman barons, continental Normandy was lost to the English Crown. It was at that point that the Islands then became loyal to the Crown of England. Law enforcement prior to 1204 was through a feudal system of courts with the power invested in the landowners or Seigneurs. In 1204 King John withdrew from Normandy and it was from that time onwards that the powers were then invested in the office of Connétable.

Local records show that the Connétable was first mentioned in 1462 and the first record of a Centenier was 1502.

3 | P a g e

The title Connétable or Constable and Centenier were well known in France and England, but the roles over the centuries have developed on very different lines.

The origin of the office of Connétable in Jersey is clearly to be found in the English officers of High Constable and Petty or Parish Constable. The office of High Constable was created by statute in 1285 and that of Petty or Parish Constable was instated at a time during the reign of Edward III. And as I am sure you are all aware, that was between 1327 and 1377. Both the High Constables and Parish Constables were charged with the duty of maintaining the peace and bringing miscreants to justice. In the course of time, the function of the UK Parish Constable was limited to that of peace officer only, until the office was abolished in the 19th century. This was not the case in Jersey where the functions and status of the Connétables increased.

There have been various suggestions about the office of Centenier having links to an Anglo Saxon term for ‘hundred men’, and therefore they were responsible for the behaviour of 100 families, but there is no evidence to support that view beyond the word ‘Centenier’ having connotations with the number 100. It is more likely that the office of Centenier was created to be a junior Connétable. It is more probable that the title Centenier took its distant origins from the French Monarchy, under which there were Centeniers and in Guernsey (dizainiers), and they had a right to hold court or public assembly where justice was administered and where matters which related to

4 | P a g e the district were discussed. According to further research, by the 16th century the Connétables were exercising police powers, which included the right to search for stolen property in suspected premises. The Royal Commissioners Ordinance of 1562 confirmed the duties of the Connétables and other parochial officers in connection with criminal law.

During the 16th Century it was clear that the Connétable in each of the 12 parishes was assisted by a Centenier who took the same oath, but for the name of the office, and carried out the same functions in the absence of the Connétable. By the 17th century most parishes had two Centeniers. Apparently the increase started with a particular Centenier getting old or becoming ill and the people not wanting him to be discharged from his duties. By 1846 the number stood at 26. Today there are 56 Centeniers.

Each parish provided a framework for ecclesiastical, civil and military organisations. Despite the small geographical area of the Island, from a cultural perspective, rather than becoming a single island-wide community, Jersey developed unusually as an island comprising of twelve separate States, each having considerable discretion to shape and control events that took place within parish boundaries. The role of the parish as the primary unit of social organisation in Jersey is of vital importance. The twelve parishes have an internal structure designed to promote good stewardship. Most positions are honorary and office holders are elected by the rate payers of the respective

5 | P a g e parish. In other jurisdictions all of these services would be provided by the state via paid functionaries.

The Parish and the Ecclesiastical Parish were and still are so interlinked and rate payers of all Parishes have to maintain and upkeep the Parish Church and Rectory. In 1552, when all objects of Popery were strictly forbidden, a woman was seen entering into one of the Parish Churches carrying a rosary. The Connétable went up to her and told her to hand over the rosary to him immediately. She refused and when the case was heard, possibly by a Centenier, the sentence given was that the woman’s husband should be sent to prison for allowing his wife to behave in such an idolatrous way.

By the end of the 17th century, St. Peter’s church was at the centre of a bitter quarrel between its Rector and the Connétable. The Rector and Dean of Jersey wanted to celebrate Holy Communion on Christmas Day as well as on the four Sundays laid down by ecclesiastical law. The Connétable and the Churchwardens would not hear of any more than the four communions, this was not on doctrinal grounds, but because the Parish would have to pay for the extra wine.

Along with the creation of the two officers, Connétable and Centenier, further development of officers took place and the creation of the position of Vingtenier and Officiers du Connétable, both can be traced back to around the same period. Originally the title of Officers du Connétable was referred to as ‘sermente’ or ‘sworn men’ and

6 | P a g e comprised of those individuals who were sworn as members of the ‘enditement’ or jury of preliminary enquiry. Records dating back to 1574 indicated that serments heard evidence out of court and arrests were made on their requests. The 1804 law ‘Loi Assemblees Paroissiales’ stated that ‘Each Vingtenier within his Vingtaine (or divided area within a Parish), and in the absence of the Connétable and Centeniers shall have the power and be responsible to see kept the peace and have the right to be assisted by the Officier du Connétable and shall seize disturbers of the peace and take them to the Chef of the Parish Police’. As you will hear later, in 1974 this law swept away all common law differences between ranks.

Until 1806 the honorary police of each parish had no means to distinguish themselves from ordinary member of the public. It was on the suggestion of General Don that the States of Jersey government issued a baton or ensigne d’office. Now know as ‘baton de justice’. This was necessary due to a fracas in a Parish when soldiers were sent to support the Connétable failed to recognise the Centeniers at the scene of the disturbance and the Centeniers were taken to be members of the troublemakers. The baton was used to touch the offender on arrest to signify that they had been detained. These batons went out of general use and have been replaced by a badge and warrant card. The batons are now sought after items of Parish history and can fetch thousands of pounds at auction. Some have been placed in glass cases and are displayed at some Parish Halls.

7 | P a g e

Apart form the Parish Hall Enquiry system, which dealt with minor offences, the Royal Court dealt with all other offences as a Police court had yet to be established. The Royal Court in the early part of the 19th century was very different and far removed from that which exists today. The public, at that time, had little respect for the Court and sittings on occasions degenerated into open violence.

In 1829 there were still public executions and one recorded execution was of a Philippe Jean, who was being hanged in front of a large crowd, for murdering his father. He made a speech from the gallows attributing his downfall to drink and acknowledged the righteousness of his punishment. A comment on the execution appeared in the JEP which read ‘Let us hope that the execution of this terrible sentence has touched the hearts of parents, and taught them a stern lesson that will lead them to control their children’s actions with stricter vigilance. Pray God, above all, that the young people present may profit by it’.

Part of the original oath of a Centenier was to seek out houses of ill repute and brothels and in 1846, St. Helier Centenier, George Le Cronier, accompanied by a Constables Officer attended at a house of ill repute in St. Helier to arrest both husband and wife. When they arrived, only the wife, a Mrs Le Gendre was at home. When the Centenier attempted to arrest her, she got hold of a carving-knife and drove it straight into his stomach. ‘O, mon garçon, je suis stabbé’, groaned the Centenier. A translation of the Jersey French would be, ‘Oh my boy, I’ve been stabbed’,

8 | P a g e

The Constables Officer avoided a second lunge of the carving-knife and dashed out of the house, crying ‘Murder! Murder!’ Poor Centenier Le Cronier died the next day, and he is the only Centenier and Honorary Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty. A 25 foot high granite memorial to Centenier Le Cronier was erected in Green Street Cemetery. As public executions were now a thing of the past, Mrs Le Gendre was tried for murder and banished. She later remarried, remarrying a man called Le Cronier!

Also at that time, 1846, the Honorary Police were the only force serving the Island and the number of officers stood as follows:- 26 Centeniers, 52 Vingteniers and 79 Constables Officers. These men were made up from, in the rural areas, mainly farmers who one minute would be ploughing their fields to being called to deal with crimes of the day. The only uniform they had was the baton du Justice. But by 1840 the population of St. Helier was approximately 23,000 people with no regular police system on the streets. To redress this situation, a number of businesses and residents in the town subscribed to day and night watchmen, but due to their lack of legal authority proved ineffective in crime prevention and detection.

At the time, difficulty in respect of the Honorary Police and the courts were dogged with the impartial duties and the involvement with local politics so in the light of this situation the States of Jersey appointed two commissioners to ‘enquire into the criminal law of the Channel Islands’. By July 1847 the first report was presented to the States, it

9 | P a g e was 280 pages in length and the important recommendations contained were:-

The Honorary Police to be replaced by a paid police force for the whole Island.

A criminal code to be enacted by the States, defining offences on the basis of English law, (as at the time most laws were customary Normandy Law).

Criminal Procedures should be reformed to provide for trial by one jury.

Comprehensive changes required.

The main support for change came from the Parish of St. Helier, but the rural parishes remained stoutly opposed to any form of change to the Island system of policing, a position that remains to this day. The recommendations of the Commissioners were not welcomed by the States and when questioned by the Home Office through the Lieutenant Governor, the States, in reply, pointed out their efforts in preparing an ill-fated criminal code and made no mention of the recommendations which included forming an all Island police force. Further recommendations followed from the Home Office which included the establishment of a Police Court. By 1850 nothing had been enacted and local reformists were continuing to herald their cause. A meeting was arranged by the States and the effectiveness

10 | P a g e of the Night Watch was discussed, the concerns raised identified the most pertinent policing problems of the day.

Jersey’s government were still dragging their heals in 1851 and by 1852 an order was received from the Home Office to establish a Police Court and have a paid police force for St. Helier. The order in council stated that there should be an Island police force comprising of a superintendent and 22 men and they were to operate totally independently from the honorary system. This was watered down to only 10 men under the control of the Connétable of St. Helier, which operated only at night. The stubbornness of the political police, the Connétables, and the antagonists, had brought the Island to what amounted to a constitutional crisis over what was simply the right of the public to a fair system of justice and an efficient Police Force. The result of the Home Office and the commissioners was to sever the police and political connection, which did not materialise. An issue that would haunt the professional police service well into the 20th century.

In January 1854, St. Helier finally had a paid police force which operated between the hours of 6pm to 2am and as a result they became known as the night watch or ‘garde de nuit’. These officers were uniformed on similar lines to the UK police at that time, but that is where the similarity ended. These officers were restricted to the powers of a Constables Officer of the Honorary Police and were dependant on the authority of Centeniers in matters of arrest and search, a situation that continued unchanged for 120 years. The Paid

11 | P a g e

Police, as they became known, were subordinate to the Honorary Police, who at that time did not use the title ‘honorary’ but was later used to distinguish the two forces. Slowly the presence of the Paid Police on the streets of St. Helier became felt by the law breakers within the community. By 1914 the paid force stood at 21 officers, still under the control of the Connétable of St. Helier. These officers, towards the end of the 19th century became volunteer firemen and later in the early part of 1940 ambulance men also.

Here are two photographs of the Paid police, one paid police force football team, circa 1900 and the second the paid police force circa 1930’s.

Attempts were made to put the St. Helier paid police on a more professional footing, and this was supported by both the Connétable of St. Helier and his honorary police, but when brought before the States the proposition was strongly and successfully opposed by the rural bloc who thought this move would undermine the honorary system.

In 1854, with the creation of the Police Court, the decision to prosecute became the prerogative of either the Connétable or the Centenier. This system has served the Island since that date.

When the 1854B Law was created the jurisdiction of the Magistrate was a maximum fine of five pounds sterling or one week’s

12 | P a g e imprisonment. Currently the jurisdiction is a maximum of £5000 fine or 1 year’s imprisonment or both.

In 1853, it was the Connétable or the Centenier who presented the case before the Magistrate in accordance with their Oath, still current today.

In 1934, the question of the relationship between the honorary police and the paid police was again raised with the States Committee who oversaw the paid police. At the time they sought to legally define the position of the paid police, with a view to extending their powers. A new commission was setup with three primary questions:-

Whether police experts could be placed at the disposal of the honorary police

Examine whether to retain the fundamental principals of the honorary police

And to present a recommendation for re-organising the paid police to ensure they could operate and fulfil the policing needs of the Island.

The then commission concluded that the paid police were in need of additional powers to enable them to operate in other parishes and required a separate police station away from the control of the Connétable of St. Helier. This was to ensure that there was no political conflict with the other 11 Connétables. At the time the crimes

13 | P a g e that were developing were dangerous drugs and road traffic matters. The report recommended a more flexible and professional police system, retaining the honorary police principle and the authority of the Connétables in their Parishes. The Commission also went on to recommend that the responsibility for the investigation and prosecution in criminal matters should continue to be exercised by the Attorney General and the honorary police.

The following year the States adopted the recommendations of the principle of a professional police force to operate on an Island-wide basis, but this again created much controversy and the law was delayed until 1938. Although the preamble was accepted, the Bill itself was rejected by the States due to the main opposition from the rural members.

War came and the Island was occupied by the German Forces, but the Honorary Police and Paid town police continued. This is a photograph of the Island Centeniers in 1943, and at that time they must have had an association although the records we have of the Island of Jersey Centeniers Association did not start until 1946 at an inaugural meeting, and continued until 2004. This photograph has only recently come to light having remained hidden for many years.

Following the war years the honorary police maintained its autonomy in law enforcement in the Island and only asking for the assistance from the Paid Police on the most difficult of cases. But in 1950, Sir Alexander Maxwell and Mr. F.T. Tarry were invited by the States to

14 | P a g e again look at the system of policing in Jersey and submit their views. It was obvious that little had changed since 1934 and the same flaws were found. Their recommendations were that the honorary police should be supplemented by the professional police and that the paid police should have the same powers island-wide. A further recommendation was for a Chief Officer of Police to be appointed and be responsible for training and technical aids. The new force should be provided with a headquarters away from the Town Hall. In 1951 the Paid Police Force (Jersey) Law was passed and the Jersey Paid Police became island-wide.

It must be noted that whilst the paid police at that time had Island- wide powers they still had to ask for permission to enter parishes other than St. Helier, and on occasions the Connétable of a Parish would said ‘NO’. A further review by Mr Tarry was undertaken in 1958 and following that report, the name of the Jersey police changed from the Paid Police to the States of Jersey Police and that took place in 1960.

Finally in 1974, following a new report by Mr Fenwick QPM, one of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the States passed the Police Force (Jersey) Law 1974, a law still in force today, which gave members of the force the power to arrest offenders and suspected offenders and the ability to go Island-Wide without the need to ask for permission from the Connétable of the Parish concerned.

15 | P a g e

It was in that law that the role of the honorary police and their jurisdiction was clearly defined. It states that:-

A Police Officer is a member of the States of Jersey Police and a member of the Honorary Police. The same law continues with the powers reserved to a Centenier.

The following powers will be expressly reserved for a Connétable or Centenier:- The granting of bail to any person The formal charging of any person with an offence, without prejudice to the customary powers of Her Majesty’s Attorney General in the prosecution of offences.

The 1974 law made clear the jurisdiction of both the States of Jersey Police and the Honorary Police, with the States of Jersey Police:- “Being empowered to act within the territorial limits of the Bailwick” Something that took 130 years to get to!

There was also a law annexed to this new law stating prescribed offences and defined what an Honorary Police Officer could and could not investigate. This now meant that the Honorary Police could no longer investigate crimes other than the most simple and minor traffic offences.

In 1982 the States of Jersey appointed a new Chief Officer from the UK, Mr David Parkinson. This led to a period in which practices and

16 | P a g e principles of policing in the Island were the subject of close scrutiny and critical appraisal. Due to Mr Parkinson’s highly professional standards, conflict soon erupted between him and the Connétables, in whose hands all responsibility of policing was vested. Following proposals by HMIC, who supported Mr Parkinson and his proposals of imposing English practices in the Island, the conflicts between the honorary police were not reduced. During the 12 years of his office, relations between the Honorary and States of Jersey Police initially sank to a low level. As you will hear shortly, history has a habit of constantly repeating itself. However as time passed the reforms initiated inside the States force became acceptable to most members of the honorary police, to whom it became self-evident that their own procedures and practices must change also to meet the demands of good practice. The Centeniers Association, at the time, took the lead in Island-wide consultation and representing the views of the Honorary Police, both in discussions with other agencies and in a self-regulatory role. This initiative in many ways saved the honorary police from self-destruction in conflict with the requirements of modern policing which it was evident must be implemented.

In 1995, a further report on policing was undertaken by Sir Cecil Clothier. This again looked at the position of the Honorary Police in a modern society. The Clothier report made many recommendations, some only recently implemented. Training was of paramount importance, as honorary officers received no formal professional training in their powers or how to deal with incidents which they were being called to, mostly by parishioners, who at that time still

17 | P a g e considered the honorary police the only police force to call. A training course was set up with the assistance of the States of Jersey Police and officers would attend giving them an understanding of matters such as the powers of a police officer and using a police radio.

The working party set up following the Clothier report recommended the retention of the honorary police but removal of the Connétables from policing duties. The report also recommended the establishment of a Police Authority. Significantly, there was no recommendation that responsibility for charging of offenders should be removed from the Centeniers and vested in the professional force as had been recommended by successive HMIC reports. This was based on the principle that the system works and should not be changed, and is still current today.

The Centeniers Association, which had taken a prominent and positive position in its representations to the working party, considered some of these recommendations to be unwise and likely to prove destructive to the voluntary spirit upon which the honorary system depends.

The Centeniers Association considered and welcomed the recommendations for an enhanced Parish Hall jurisdiction, but not the introduction of finding guilt, a view also echoed by the then Attorney General. History shows that the evolution of the honorary system successfully passed through a significant point of change and was well placed to continue to provide a beneficial service to the

18 | P a g e communities that honorary officers were elected to and served through the Island.

History can give a somewhat biased view of events, and this dip into the history of policing and honorary police in Jersey, may have painted a picture of why the honorary police should be a thing of the past. But a lot of unrecorded events demonstrating the wonderful work of this ancient policing system have been lost in time. History fails to take into account the dedication of all my predecessors, who over the years have given lifetimes to their Parish and to the Island. One such person cannot go without mention and that is Vingtenier Mitch Couriard, whom in 2002 received an MBE for his services to the community, one though his work with the Youth Service and also for his work and dedication to the Honorary Police. And to all other officers, they have become, and still are, unsung heroes. But the work of the whole of the honorary police had not passed without someone recognising that so much dedication had been given, and in 2003, the Queen gave an Unsung Heroes Award to the Honorary Police of Jersey, so for all of the shortcomings of the system, finally the Honorary Police work had been recognised by the Queen herself.

As you have heard, the States of Jersey Police and the honorary police during the period 1974 to 2003 have seen relationships with highs and lows but the two have continued to work alongside each other.

19 | P a g e

Having taken you through some of the history of honorary and state policing in Jersey let me now bring you up-to-date with the current functions of the honorary and States of Jersey Police.

Just to recap, the Island still has 13 police forces, The States of Jersey Police controlled by a Chief Officer and 12 honorary forces controlled by 12 independent Chefs de Police. Does this work? In the main yes, and the two do coexist in harmony these days, but that is not to say the odd problem does not occur from time to time.

The Centenier:-

The duties of Centeniers vary between the busy Parishes, such as St. Helier and St Brelade compared with the rural smaller Parishes, such as St. Mary, but in the main consists of the following:-

To be on Duty for one week in every four and be available 24 hours a day. To carry a pager and mobile phone and be a link between Police Control Room and the public. To attend at sudden deaths in the Parish and release the body. To charge and bail offenders at either Police Headquarters, the Harbour or Jersey Airport. Prior to charge the Centenier will read though all the evidence presented to him or her, by the custody sergeant or Customs officers and decide if there is sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction or if the matter is within the public interest. In more serious cases, legal

20 | P a g e advice will have been given through the Legal Advisors department. On occasions, Centeniers have refused to charge an offender at police headquarters due to lack of evidence. To undertake Parish Hall Enquires, to establish if there is evidence of an offence, decide if the Centenier has the power to deal with the matter on the night by either a fine or a written caution, or charge the accused for court. A Centenier in the busy Parishes may have to deal with up to 25 offenders per night. Planning Parish patrols, road checks, speed checks, curfews and events which talk place within the Parish. Assist the Connétable on Visites de Branchage and Visites Royale. Present cases before the Magistrates Court and to liaise with the legal advisors and the Criminal Justice Unit at States of Jersey Police.

In 2003 I joined the honorary police as a Centenier. At the time the Parish was at the point of being fined and I decided that I would give a small amount of my time; well that was how it was sold to me. Having had businesses in Jersey and having been involved in retailing musical instruments and having qualifications in electronics, I knew nothing about policing the law, but as a Jerseyman knew of the honorary system. In my first duty week I attended at the Airport to charge a female for importing £45,000 of heroin into Jersey. I had a sudden death at 3am, a headland fire at the Airport, a road traffic accident and various phone calls about speeding in the Parish, along with a lost gnome! Apart from that I had to attend court to see how the Centenier interacted in the criminal justice system. At the end of

21 | P a g e that first week I was exhausted and thought “what have I let myself in for over the next three years”. By the second duty week I had learnt of all the places that women and men could put illegal drugs so as not to be detected when entering Jersey via the Airport, or so they thought! I now view kinder eggs in a different light!

Also, at that time, relationships with the States of Jersey Police were at an all-time low and I could see the need for change; one in the attitude of some of my fellow officers throughout the Island, but also change and understanding from the States Police, who I could see where frustrated by the stubborn-headedness of some Parishes. I have never been good at being a spectator and standing on the sidelines, so I became involved as Secretary of the Centeniers Association at the beginning of 2004. A memorandum of understanding had been drawn up by the States of Jersey Police, but the Honorary Police, over some dead bodies, would never sign or be party to it. I think the term ‘hell will freeze over before I am party to any agreement with the Paid Police’, came from one Parish. I was up against major opposition to get this document signed, but on the 7th May 2004 both parties signed the agreement, hell froze over, and since that date, the partnership between the Honorary Police and States Police has continued to grow from strength to strength, to the detriment of the ‘bad guys and girls’ who wish to disrupt the peace of Jersey. At the end of 2004 we saw the formation of a single Honorary Police Association. Prior to that we had the Centeniers Association and the Vingteniers and CO’s Association. You may recall that the Clothier

22 | P a g e report of 1995 criticised the Honorary Police for lack of training. Around the year 2000, on the retirement of a Chief Inspector from the States Police, training was given on a regular basis. With the formation of the new Honorary Police Association and the formal recognition of the Comité des Chefs, the position of Chef de Police was put into statue; a Training Committee was set up, which I headed. The previous arrangement with the retired Chief Inspector came to an end and a further Memorandum of Understanding was created so that up-to-date training could be again undertaken by the States of Jersey Police. This took place in January of 2007 and is run on a module basis which includes such subjects as: - Powers of a Police officer and Pocket notebooks, Stop and Search, Going Equipped, and confiscation of alcohol, the use of the breathalyser and road traffic law, and a module on dealing with Road Traffic crashes. The training has also been extended to officer safety training and conflict resolution. The honorary police provide an instantaneous manpower resource which the States of Jersey Police can call on at anytime. In 2005 we had, what is now known as the Granite Product Incident, where an oxyacetylene container caught fire. A 300 metre cordon was created and manned by honorary officers for just on 48 hours. Officers were brought in to assist from neighbouring Parishes, until the danger to the surrounding area had been eliminated.

Let me just run through just a few of the vast amount of photo’s that we now have of events, training and incidents the honorary police have attended and assisted the States of Jersey Police.

23 | P a g e

I have been, in the past, proud to be a member of this ancient police system, and have worked hard to ensure that it has a future in the 21st Century.

And talking of the future, I hope that you have not been bored and have found my talk interesting about Honorary Police work in Jersey, it is unique.

Like Dr. Who’s TARDIS, the future of the honorary police can go in one of many directions. If the honorary system does not wish to change and adapt then all the hard work of a dedicated team of honorary officers will be lost and the oldest police force in the world will die. Like a Time Lord, the honorary police have changed and adapted, sometimes with a great deal of pain. Providing that the Honorary Police are able to re-generate then I hope that they have a long future in the criminal justice system of this Island, an Island that I, my father and his father before that have been brought up on.

In the brief time left, if there are any questions I hope that I may be able to answer them.

Thank you for listening.

24 | P a g e

25 | P a g e