Acting as a force for change

That said, he is also right to suggest that the Honorary Police do not always present themselves in a way that endears them to people who have not been brought up with an understanding the Island’s tradition of voluntary service.

It is certainly the case, as Centenier Raymond asserts, that honorary officers do more than don yellow jackets to control traffic or man road checks.

They also ease the pressure on the States force by spreading the load when it comes to patrolling the streets and policing major events such as the annual Air Display or Jersey Live. In addition, they undertake vital roles at parish hall inquiries and in the Magistrate’s Court.

And although it is true that the days when the honorary police took precedence in major criminal inquiries are over – and quite rightly so – this does not mean that volunteer officers have no role in ensuring the safety and security of the parishioners they serve. On the contrary, if the voluntary force did not exist, public funds would have to be poured in to fill the policing gap.

Unfortunately, some honorary officers actually prejudice the reputation of the institution that they represent. In extreme cases – such as the conduct of former St Helier Vingtenier Roger Holland – out-and-out criminality will have undermined at least some people’s faith in the system. More frequently – though not as frequently as some critics would suggest – a high-handed, authoritarian attitude on the part of officers who have too high an opinion of their own importance does the damage.

In the world of more conventional law enforcement it is widely recognised that the most effect form of policing is policing with public consent. Our atypical, but ancient and highly valuable, complementary force must take this idea to heart and demonstrate that it is the model on which their service is founded.

All too often supporters of honorary policing assume that moving with the times will mean moving towards the extinction of the system. This is not the case. If honorary service is to survive and prosper, there must be change – and that change should certainly include the communication and public relations exercises that Centenier Raymond seems to have in mind.