The parish has three people in the honorary position – two short of the number required by law.
It has now tried four times to recruit more officers, but no one has come forward.
Constable Sadie Le Sueur-Rennard yesterday appeared in the Royal Court after the recruitment failure put the parish in contempt of court.
Addressing the court, she said: ‘I just don’t know what to do.
‘I have done everything I possibly can.
She added: ‘I have been in the paper, on the radio and on the television.
‘I don’t know what else to do.’
Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq, sitting with Jurats Geoffrey Fisher and Anthony Olsen, said that, given the court’s previous warning that the parish would face a fine if they failed to recruit, they had no option but to impose a financial penalty.
The court ordered a new election to take place on 12 August.
Mr Le Cocq warned the Constable that if it again failed to recruit it would face ‘a more stringent penalty’.
- There is an Honorary Police force in each of the Island’s 12 parishes and all members are unpaid
- Honorary Police officers have, for centuries, been elected by parishioners to assist the Constable to maintain law and order
- Officers are elected as Centeniers, Vingteniers or Constable’s Officers, each with various duties and responsibilities.
- A Centenier is a senior member of Honorary Police and are elected for a mandate of three years at a public election within the parish
- In addition to general policing matters, the Centenier remains the only officer entitled to charge and bail offenders.
- The Centenier presides at Parish Hall enquiries and acts as prosecuting officer before the Magistrate’s Court.
- Until the 19th century the Honorary Police provided the only civilian law enforcement in Jersey. However, in the early part of the 19th century, crime was widespread among the urban population in St Helier and paid Police officers were appointed in 1853 – initially just for St Helier, with their remit later extended to serve the whole Island
