The Police Complaints Commission provides independent oversight into the investigation of complaints against the conduct of officers in the Guernsey Police
Why we have a Police Complaints Commission (PCC)?
- The Police Complaints (Guernsey) Law, 2008 came into force on 1 July 2011 alongside the Police Complaints (Conduct Proceedings and Investigations) (Guernsey) Regulations, 2011 and the Police Complaints (Appeal Tribunal)(Guernsey) Regulations 2011.
- The role of the Police Complaints Commission is to supervise the most serious complaints and those where it is in the public interest to do so. The Commission has access to all complaints made to the Police and so provide the independent oversight which is essential to ensure public confidence.
- If the public is to have trust and confidence in the police, the complaints system must be accessible, transparent, and subject to independent scrutiny. Furthermore, any police officer who is subject to a serious complaint needs to be dealt with by a process that is fair and unbiased for the protection of his or her reputation.
- The objectives of the Law are:
- - To provide greater protection for the public should officers act outside of their powers
- - To increase public confidence and trust in the police and in the complaints system as a whole
- - To provide greater protection for police officers from complaints which are an abuse of process
- - To increase accessibility, openness and independence of the complaints process
- To support the timely resolution of complaints and improve communication with complainants
How do I make a complaint
- Complaints should be made in the first instance to the Chief Officer of Police and the Commission will be notified in accordance with the Law.
- Contact: psd@guernsey.police.uk
- Make a complaint - Guernsey Police
Interesting in joining the Commission?
Role of the Police Complaints Commission
- The role of the PCC is to provide independent oversight into the investigation of complaints made about the conduct of police officers, with the aim of increasing public confidence and trust in the police, and the complaints system as a whole. The PCC supervises the most serious complaints and those where it is in the public interest to do so.
Requirements
- You don't need any specific qualifications to become a Commissioner. What you will need are the interest, commitment, and the ability to be flexible to make a full contribution to the work.
- As a Commissioner, you will be required to make sound, balanced decisions and justify them. In order to do that, you must be able to demonstrate the following essential core competencies:
- 1. Analysis
- a. demonstrate a clear understanding of the relevant facts and issues
- b. assimilate and interpret large amounts of complex information from different sources
- c. be able to select relevant material
- 2. Judgement and Decision Making
- a. adopt an analytical approach and reason logically
- b. follow procedure
- c. balance evidence
- 3. Written and Oral Communication
- a. express yourself clearly and concisely both orally and in writing
- b. be prepared for challenge and be confident in stating your reasoning
- 4. Team Working
- a. work effectively with others
- b. be open minded, honest and flexible in your approach
- c. apply expertise and, where relevant, explain areas of expertise to colleagues
- 5. Equal Opportunities and Human Rights
- a. you must be aware of and committed to equal opportunities and will need to have an appreciation of the importance of human rights
- 6. Data Protection
- a. have awareness of the principles of data protection and the rights of data subjects
- Applicants must demonstrate an ability to be fair and objective, non-judgemental and have the ability to read and understand complex matters.
- The ability to use a word processor and access e-mail is essential.
Training
- Senior Commissioners along with staff from across Home Affairs will provide a comprehensive training programme for all new members necessary to undertake this role effectively and completely.
Eligibility Criteria
- Anyone over the age of 18 can apply to be a Commissioner unless they are or have previously been a member of the Island Police Force, or a member of any other police force.
- Members cannot be members of the States of Deliberation, States of Alderney or Chief Pleas of Sark, holders of judicial office, Jurats of the Royal Court or Jurats of the Court of Alderney and they cannot be in full time employment by the States of Guernsey.
- Due to the nature of this post all shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo Level 1 Vetting prior to appointment. Having previous convictions does not automatically exclude you from the job. It will depend on what offences you committed and how long ago they were.
Who to contact to apply
- Police Complaints Commission, Sir Charles Frossard House, La Charroterie, St Peter Port, GY1 1FH, policecomplaintscommission@gov.gg
