Thursday 06 August 2020
Deputy Gavin St Pier, President of the Policy & Resources Committee:
'While police recruitment is of course a matter for the Police and not for politicians, I'm aware of the public reaction and national media interest in the recent film. Personally, I do share some of the concerns expressed. Our police force has always been one whose focus has been supporting the community with care and compassion, something they have done incredibly well particularly this year as we've faced the COVID pandemic, and my view is that whilst this video reflects some aspects of policing, it does not properly reflect the full range of police activities in a balanced way. I appreciate that it was likely meant to be nothing more than a showcase of some of the more specialist parts of police work, but I think the delivery did not match that aim. In my personal opinion, it was a mistake and these do happen from time to time. But the important thing is to learn from them. In this case, the lesson is that we need to have appropriate quality assurance so we have consistency in our messaging across the public service. Certainly I hope it does not impact the very positive image Guernsey has acquired this year for its handling of the COVID pandemic or our longer term reputation as a beacon of stability, safety and community.'
