THE authority representing Jersey police is calling for an “urgent” review of ministers’ proposed budget for 2026, warning that public safety will be put at risk if officers are forced to operate with “insufficient” funding.
Jersey Police Authority chair Simon Harman said he is “concerned” that current Budget plans will lead to a “reduction in the resourcing” for the States of Jersey Police at a time when the “complexity, breadth and intensity of policing demand in Jersey continue to grow”.
He warned that “underfunding in policing carries significant operational, reputational and social risks”.
Mr Harman explained: “The community’s safety and confidence depend upon a well-resourced, responsive and modern police service.
“The current budget proposals, while fiscally restrained, do not provide the flexibility or growth necessary to sustain that standard.”
He urged ministers to give “urgent consideration” to increasing funding for the States police.
It comes just days after States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Association president Tim Le Cocq accused the government of neglecting the safety of both firefighters and the public.
He said that failings in the hours leading up to the Haut du Mont explosion – which killed ten Islanders – could be linked to “years of under-investment and limited capacity”, according to the organisation representing Jersey’s firefighters.
Mr Le Cocq explained: “For too long, government has not adequately invested in the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service to provide an environment that appropriately considers the risk to staff, Islanders and visitors.”
Mr Harman echoed these concerns, warning that the States police force’s ability to meet its priorities will be “seriously compromised if the current funding trajectory continues”.
He added: “A reduction in establishment and budget will inevitably limit early intervention and safeguarding work with children and young people, restrict the development of trauma-informed services for victims of sexual and domestic abuse, and constrain the force’s capacity to lead on community partnerships and problem-solving policing initiatives.”
The Jersey Police Authority chair said that the absence of dedicated funding for digital transformation risks leaving Jersey “behind comparable jurisdictions” in the use of data analytics, AI-assisted investigation tools, and cybercrime prevention.
Mr Harman explained that staff wages make up £28.5 million — about 91% of total spending — for the force, leaving little room in the budget to handle rising costs, new pressures, or future investments.
With funding staying flat, the States police “will face a real-terms decline in available resources over the next four years”, he warned.
Mr Harman said that the officers are operating in an “increasingly complex environment”, dealing with “more vulnerable individuals, more technologically sophisticated criminal activity, and more statutory and partnership responsibilities than at any previous point”.
He explained: “The combined effect of these pressures is that the States of Jersey Police is being asked to meet rising public expectations with diminishing real-terms funding.
“This poses risks to response times, to safeguarding outcomes, and to the morale and wellbeing of officers and staff.”
He added that new laws, including stalking and non-fatal strangulation, has been introduced which will “inevitably impact on police demand but attract no additional funding”.
Mr Harman warned the force’s ability to meet its priorities will be “seriously compromised if the current funding trajectory continues”.
He said that the “current financial envelope” is “insufficient” to meet the demands on the force, and called for a “comprehensive review” of funding for the States police.
“This review should also examine the sustainability of staffing levels, particularly in specialist areas such as safeguarding, digital forensics and investigation,” added Mr Harman.
The Jersey Police Authority chair also urged the government to “revisit its approach to non-pay pressures”, warning that “reliance on vacancy absorption to balance budgets is a short-term expedient that compromises operational effectiveness and long-term value for money”.
“A stable, transparent allocation for operational costs would provide a more sustainable foundation,” he said.
