The States of Jersey Police is the official police service of Jersey. It was established in its current form by the Police Force Law, 1974 and consists of around 240 officers. This was some 130 years after the need for a full-time force was identified. A body of paid and uniformed town police was set up in Saint Helier in 1854, which became the nucleus of the Paid Police established to operate Island-wide in 1951 by the Paid Police Force Law. The Paid Police was renamed the States of Jersey Police in 1960. The States Police supports the system of elected Honorary Police in each parish that has been in place in the Island since 1204. The States of Jersey Police are the only officers with Island-wide powers and provide a professional response to all serious crime in the Island. Under a memorandum of understanding with the twelve parish forces the latter routinely handle minor matters and traffic control, but Centeniers remain the only officers able to bring charges. The fictional Bureau des Étrangers department of the States of Jersey Police featured in the British TV seriesBergerac.
Notable investigations
An investigation into allegations of historical child abuse had begun in 2006. Several sites in the grounds of Haut de la Garenne, a former children's home, were excavated in 2008 and finds of human remains and other items were announced amid sensational international publicity. In September 2008, Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell of Lancashire Police took over as Senior Investigating Officer in the abuse enquiry. In August 2008 David Warcup, Deputy Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, took over as Deputy Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police. The new team launched a review of the investigation to date and subsequently in November 2008, the Deputy Chief Officer, David Warcup, expressed "much regret" that misleading information had been released throughout the conduct of the enquiry and that there was "no evidence" of any child murders at Haut de la Garenne. Detective Superintendent Gradwell retired in August 2009 at the end of his contract and returned to the UK. On retiring, he described the investigation prior to the time he took over as a "poorly managed mess" and, in particular, the decision to excavate at Haut de la Garenne as being without justification and as "a complete and total waste of public money, time and effort". As a result of the wider investigation, disregarding the controversial excavations at Haut de la Garenne, charges were brought against three individuals, and convictions obtained in court in 2009.
Suspension of Former Chief Officer
The former Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police, Graham Power, was suspended in November 2008 pending an inquiry into his handling of the historic abuse inquiry, in the wake of the public withdrawal by police of claims of evidence. In August 2009, it was announced that Graham Power, still on suspension but contesting his suspension through legal process, had been suspended again in relation to the keeping of secret files on politicians, an affair unrelated to the historic abuse inquiry. Graham Power later retired and was replaced in the interim by David Warcup, who subsequently announced his own departure in July 2010.
Headquarters
In 2013, plans to build a new headquarters building were approved. The new building which supersedes the old headquarters located in Rouge Bouillon, was opened on 7 March 2017, and sits on land which was occupied by a part of Green Street car park.
