Jersey Police Complaints Authority: Appointment of three new members

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A decision made 25 January 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-HA-2013-0006

Decision Summary Title :

JPCA membership proposition

Date of Decision Summary:

17 January 2013

Decision Summary Author:

Executive Officer

Home Affairs

Decision Summary:

Public or Exempt?

Public

Type of Report:

Oral or Written?

Written

Person Giving

Oral Report:

N/A

Written Report

Title :

WR JPCA membership proposition

Date of Written Report:

17 January 2013

Written Report Author:

Executive Officer

Home Affairs

Written Report :

Public or Exempt?

Public

Subject:

Jersey Police Complaints Authority – appointment of three new members.

Decision(s):

The Minister decided to propose the appointment of Mr Howard Cooper, Mr Graeme Marett and Mrs Diana Taylor-Cox as members of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority (JPCA) for a period of three years from the date on which their appointments are approved by the States, if applicable, and approved a Report and Proposition recommending the above appointments.

Reason(s) for Decision:

The former chairman and two other members of the JPCA took the decision to retire from the Authority at the end of December 2012, leaving 3 vacancies. The positions were advertised and following an interview by a panel comprising the new Chairman of the JPCA and representatives from Home Affairs and the Jersey Appointments Commission, the positions was offered to Mr Graeme Marett, Mrs Diana Taylor-Cox and Mr Howard Cooper.

Resource Implications:

There are no additional financial or manpower implications arising from this proposition.

Action required:

The Executive Officer, Home Affairs, to request the Greffier of the States to arrange for the attached Report and Proposition to be lodged ‘au Greffe’ for consideration by the States.

Signature:

Position:

Minister for Home Affairs

Date Signed:

Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Jersey Police Complaints Authority: Appointment of three new members

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion –

in accordance with Article 2 of, and the Schedule to, the Police (Complaints and Discipline) (Jersey) Law 1999 to appoint the following as members of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority for a period of three years –

Mr Howard Cooper

Mr Graeme Marett

Mrs Diana Taylor-Cox

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS

REPORT

The period of office of five members of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority expired at the end of 2012. Two of the five members had been in post since January 2010 and expressed the wish to remain as members. However, the former Chairman of the Authority, Mr Tom Slattery, who had been a member of the Authority since 2005 and Chairman since 2010 took the decision to retire; as did two of the members, Mr Andrew Cornish who had been a member of the Authority since 2004 and Mr Tony Beaumont who had been a member of the Authority since it was formed in 2001. I am very grateful to all three of them for the significant contribution that they have made to the Authority.

The positions were first advertised in the Jersey Evening Post and on the Jobs in Jersey website on 18 October 2012. However, there was little interest in the role, so the decision was taken that the positions should be re-advertised at a later period and the advert appeared again on 22 November 2012, with a closing date for applications of 7 December 2012. A short listing process was then undertaken but due to the Christmas break, it was not possible to carry out interviews for the positions until 14 January 2013.

On 14 January 2013, following interviews by a panel comprising of the Chairman of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority, a Human Resources Officer from Home Affairs, and a representative of the Jersey Appointments Commission, the position of member of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority has been offered to Mr Howard Cooper, Mr Graeme Marett and Mrs Diana Taylor-Cox.

It is acknowledged that the departure of three members of the Authority at the end of 2012 has meant that since 1 January 2013 the Authority has not had the number of members prescribed by the Police (Complaints and Discipline) (Jersey) Law 1999, which states that the membership of the Authority “shall consist of a Chairman and not less than 6 or more than 8 other members”. The Authority currently has a Chairman and three other members.

The Minister recommends that the following be appointed to serve on the Jersey Police Complaints Authority for a period of three years –

Mr Howard Cooper

Until 2012, Mr Cooper was the Assistant Head Teacher at Hautlieu School, where he had worked since 1976. Prior to becoming the Assistant Head Teacher he held positions as a teacher of design and technology, the assistant head of sixth form and the director of sixth form studies. Before joining Hautlieu School, Mr Cooper worked as a product development engineer for British Industrial Plastics ltd where he had previously served an engineering technical apprenticeship.

Mr Cooper holds a Certificate in Education from Alsager College of Higher Education and a Masters in Education from the University of Exeter. He is also the holder of numerous sports coaching awards and is a Trustee of Hautlieu School.

Mr Graeme Marett

Mr. Marett attended De La Salle College and Highlands College, graduating in 1971 with a City and Guilds of London Institute Technological Certificate in Telecommunications. He subsequently gained a number of qualifications through the Open University as well as a Post Graduate Certificate in Competition Law and Economics from Nottingham University. He is also a Chartered Engineer. Mr Marett worked in the telecommunications industry before running his own computer brokerage business and working as a computer consultant for a number of local businesses including Jersey Post and the Education Department. From 2002 to 2011 he was employed by the JCRA as the case officer for telecommunications and was involved in the introduction of competition to the mobile telephone market. He now works as a self-employed consultant through his Jersey–registered company.

Mr Marett is a member of the States of Jersey Complaints Panel and Statistics Users Group.

Mrs Diana Taylor-Cox née Vint

Mrs Taylor-Cox attended Jersey College for Girls and Wycombe Abbey, Buckinghamshire. On leaving school, she attended secretarial college in London and then worked for chartered accountants before moving to New York where she firstly worked for AWB Inc accountants / music management and then held various secretarial posts which included marketing, press and publicity. On her return to Jersey in 1990 she worked for 17 years on a part-time basis as the PA to the Chairman of a local hotel whilst raising her family and acting as foster parent for a significant number of children. Mrs Taylor-Cox is now the owner / director of a small local property company.

The posts are honorary, although reasonable expenses can be claimed.

There are no additional financial or manpower implications arising from this proposition.

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS