St Saviour Constable Sadie Le Sueur-Rennard has warned that the parish will be fined by the Royal Court this week and again next month if it fails to fill two vacant Centenier roles.
She had taken the unusual step of writing to the majority of households in the parish calling for people to volunteer for the honorary police system after St Saviour was fined £5,000 by the Royal Court for repeatedly failing to attract enough Centeniers earlier this year.
‘Nobody came forward last night,’ Mrs Le Sueur-Rennard said. ‘It means another fine. We sent out 5,000 letters. It fell on deaf ears. It was the same people who always come to the parish meetings. I think there were 12 of us last night.’
St Saviour is required to have six Centeniers, six Vingteniers, and 18 Constable’s Officers. Although Mrs Le Sueur-Rennard said it was ‘lovely’ that three people have volunteered for less senior roles, she is still looking for two more Centeniers.
Mrs Le Sueur-Rennard – who has previously warned that Jersey’s ‘unique’ honorary police system could collapse if Islanders were not willing to volunteer – says that despite pleas being made in the media, as well as from the Bailiff, William Bailhache, during last week’s Visite Royale, nothing seemed to be working.
She added that she had thought that some retired Islanders may have expressed interest in the role but that no-one had.
‘I don’t know what else to do,’ Mrs Le Sueur-Rennard said. ‘I’m quite depressed with the whole thing – I’ve tried so hard. I’m going to have to go back into court and stand there and be fined.
‘It is embarrassing. The Attorney General and the Bailiff say: “Sorry but we have to fine you”. People say: “Why do they have to fine you?” But if it’s the law, it’s the law. There is nothing that they can do. They are as embarrassed as I am.
‘It means that next year, at this rate, the parish rates will go up.’
Today, Mrs Le Sueur-Rennard reiterated her appeal for people to come forward to save the parish from facing another fine at the Royal Court on 9 September.
‘I love my parish,’ she said. ‘I will do anything for it. I don’t know what else to do to try to get people involved. People just don’t seem to be interested, which is sad. Everybody lives life in the fast lane.’
‘I would say this to people: Look into your hearts and really think: “What can I do for my parish?”‘
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.
