Robin Smith, who has been in post for just over a year, said that while Jersey had a low crime rate, that did not diminish the need for old-fashioned police work.
When government funding was approved to recruit 30 more staff, he decided half of them should be community police officers.
Each parish in the Island will have its own dedicated officer, whose job will be to become a familiar face in their particular area, readily available and approachable. Each will be profiled in a JEP series beginning today.
St Helier – by far the biggest population centre in the Island – will have six.
And Mr Smith sums up their role in three words: ‘Visibility, accessibility and reassurance.’
This week, a mini crime spree was reported when 24 vehicles – the majority in St Mary – were entered with cash, paycards and a bicycle among the items taken.
Mr Smith said that while crime rates were thankfully low in Jersey, it did not mean that fear of crime was low. He said the sight of police officers on foot, and the fact that they would be happy to stop and talk, was a guaranteed way to create a feeling of safety and security.
Community police officers are not a new idea but Mr Smith said they were one that began to disappear as the nature of crime changed.
‘When I joined the police I spent my first two years walking the beat,’ he said. ‘I was very rarely in a car.
‘Nowadays we are dealing with more technology crime, more child sexual abuse and more public protection.
‘They require expertise and specialism, and over time resources got moved to the areas we didn’t use to have to deal with.’
He described the new initiative as ‘back-to-basics policing’ and said ‘Jersey is made for community policing’.
He added: ‘What is most important is that the community feels reassured.
‘Perception is reality. Crime levels are low, but if people feel fearful then our job is to make them feel better.’
Community police officers will serve at least two years in the role but many are saying they would like to stay longer and Mr Smith was sure the scheme would prove its value.
He said: ‘You might patrol on foot for 30 years and only catch one burglar. But that is not how you measure it.
‘If you have made people feel safe over that time, that to me is worth its weight in gold.’
