- St Saviour and St John both need to find Centenier candidates or face paying fines
- Honorary police forces must be maintained at certain numbers in each parish
- Constables of both parishes have asked for committed Islanders to come forward
- Is it fair to fine parishes? Take part in our poll below
THE honorary police forces in St Saviour and St John need new Centeniers and could be fined next month unless they find candidates to stand for election.
Both parishes have faced difficulties trying to find new recruits – who are ultimately voted in by parishioners – and may face financial sanction because the number of honorary officers has dropped below the required level.
The fine would be imposed because the parishes would be classed as being in contempt of the Royal Court.
St Saviour Constable Sadie Rennard has said that she is ‘desperate’ for two new Centeniers and urged parishioners to volunteer and ‘give something back to their community’.
‘We are desperate, I admit, but the attraction is there for people to give something back to their parish and to the Island,’ she said. ‘We do have two very good Centeniers, who are very on the ball with court issues, but they can’t keep doing it all on their own.’
She added: ‘We have had open days and recruitment drives, but we keep drawing blanks. We could face a fine in the Royal Court if we don’t get somebody by 18 May.’
Mrs Rennard was keen to emphasise the rewards of working as part of a team to serve the parish and helping to maintain a long-standing Jersey tradition.
‘People seem to think it will be more work than it really is. If there is enough of you to support each other, then it’s fine,’ she said.
‘And it’s part of Jersey’s history. We need someone to take the bull by the horns and keep this tradition going.’
Centeniers are elected for three-year terms of office in each parish and are the only honorary police officers entitled to charge or bail offenders. They also preside over parish hall inquiries and act as prosecuting officers in the Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, St John Constable Chris Taylor is looking for one new Centenier for his parish. He said: ‘It’s a difficult situation because I would not just want anybody for the job. It has to be someone of a certain calibre.
‘We have made a big effort to find someone but we are looking for a really strong candidate to come forward.’
He echoed Mrs Rennard’s sentiments in stressing the importance of maintaining an Island tradition. ‘It’s a tried and tested system, and by being a member you are not just doing extremely good parish service, you are also supporting an integral part of the Island’s community.’
If you are interested in working as a Centenier or any other honorary police role, contact your parish hall. The number for St Saviour is 735864 and for St John 861999.
Each parish in Jersey elects a number of Centeniers, Vingteniers and Constable’s officers who act in the name of each parish’s Constable in maintaining law and order.
Officers are elected for a term of three years by parishioners and take an oath in the Royal Court
Honorary police officers must live in the parish they represent at the time of their first election to the position, except in the case of St Helier where they must be a ratepayer of the parish.
The minimum age to be nominated to join the honorary police is 20 years old and the maximum age is 70.
Honorary police officers are on duty for one week at a time, usually every three or four weeks depending upon the parish roster. They are on call 24 hours a day during that period.
Officers are elected to serve their parish but can assist or operate outside with matters outside the parish in certain circumstances.
