CRIME in Jersey remained below pre-Covid levels in 2023, but the Island saw a rise in assaults last year, the Police Annual Report has shown.
Published by the Jersey Police Authority, the report also shows a fall in attendance at mental-health-related incidents and outlines some of the other challenges facing the force.
A total of 3,155 crimes was recorded during 2023 – a small increase of 94 on the previous year but around 300 below pre-Covid numbers.
Assaults rose by 8.4% between 2022 and last year, when 1,460 were recorded, with authority chair Simon Harman saying that domestic cases and the night-time economy were the main contributors to the rise.
“The assault figures dipped during Covid and we have now seen an increase. People are socialising more and we realise they are likely to act in different ways under the influence of alcohol,” he said.
“There’s a focus on hot spots, which seems to work well, but I don’t think it’s out of control.”
Better collaboration with mental-health specialists resulted in a 34% fall in attendance by police officers at welfare incidents.
There were 883 last year, 448 fewer than in 2022.
The report notes an increase in use of the mental-health triage service from 15.5% of cases to 23.5%, and a 39% reduction in detentions by the police under the Mental Health Law.
Two major incidents in December 2022 – the Haut du Mont explosion and the collision at sea involving trawler L’Ecume II – had a major bearing on the force during 2023, the report notes. However, both investigations resulting from the incidents – Operation Spire and Operation Nectar – saw costs come in well below budgeted figures.
Of a total budget of £7.25 million, only £3.24m was spent.
Mr Harman said: “It’s very, very hard to predict what the costs of investigations like this will be, and a lot of additional resources have been needed
“Given the sensitivity and human effects, the first priority is to look after the victims and families and have a thorough investigation.
“The outcome is the most important thing and then the money comes in behind that.”
Data are also included in the report relating to the objective of contributing to the implementation of the strategy for violence against women and girls.
While sexual crimes rose by only a single case to 172 between 2022 and last year, domestic abuse crimes rose by 13.7% in 12 months to 474.
The report notes the proportion of cases in which victims chose not to proceed with complaints after reporting a crime.
This figure was 43% in 2019 and 41% in both 2022 and last year.
Mr Harman said the latest VAWG picture, including the “no complaint” rate, was likely to be on the agenda at his next quarterly meeting with senior officers.
“I think ideally we would be looking for that figure to fall,” he said.
“It’s currently stable, and we need to discuss in detail and look at the evidence behind that.”
