Commemorative Board at Police Headquarters (FOI)

​Request

Referring to the Jersey Evening Post (JEP) article published on the 7 March 2019 concerning Mr Blazeby having his name removed from the Commemorative Board at Police Headquarters. The article mentioned that no answer had been given in respect of who had authorised or requested this name to be placed on the board.

My request is:

A

Any and all emails, reports or correspondence held by the States of Jersey Police in respect of the placing of the name of Mr Blazeby onto the board and the subsequent removal of it.

B

Who requested the placing of the name on the board and on what date?

C

Who authorised the placing of the name and on what date was it authorised?

D

Any internal discussions regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of the placing of this name on the board?

E

How it was initially deemed appropriate for the name to appear but subsequently it was deemed inappropriate?

F

When the name was placed on the board and the cost of placing it?

G

The cost of the subsequent removal of the name and any repair required to the board as a result of the removal?

Response

A to G

On 2 August 2018, the States of Jersey Police facilities department was requested to arrange the addition of Mr Bastable’s name to the Chief Officer commemorative board at Police HQ following his untimely death in June earlier that year.

On the same day, an officer from the facilities department contacted the Acting Chief Officer’s (A/CO) staff officer and suggested that, as with previous Chief Officers the current A/CO should have his name added to the Chief Officer’s board at the same time, showing the start date of his term. This was put to Mr Blazeby the following day by the staff officer, who agreed this could happen. There were no further internal discussions as this was normal practice.

Whilst Rob Bastable was incapacitated, Deputy Chief Officer Blazeby was the de facto Acting Chief Officer. He was completing all the duties of the Chief Officer. He was not ‘appointed by the minister’ into the role out of respect for Mr Bastable. You cannot have two chief officers at one time.

The board was amended later that month. There was no extra cost for the work, as the commemorative board was to be amended to include Mr Bastable’s details.

Had Mr Blazeby stayed in his role, he would now undoubtedly be the Acting Chief Officer of Police, appointed by the Minister and may have been the substantive Chief Officer. However circumstances change and Mr Blazeby moved on to become the Director General of Justice and Home Affairs, resigning from the police service.

In 2019, members of the Police Association noted that names on the Chief Officers board should only be of those Chief Officers, appointed by the Minister. This was brought to the attention of the Acting Deputy Chief Officer James Wileman who approached Mr Blazeby. Mr Blazeby agreed that in the circumstances his name should now be removed.

There was no cost to removing the name from the board as this was completed by a member of the police facilities team by removing the transfer letters with hot water and a pallet knife.

E-mails from the facilities department to the Staff officer have been attached with the names redacted.

Chief officer board entry emails (Redacted)

E-mail from the Director General of Justice and Home Affairs for the press release has been included.

Chief Officers Board JB (Redacted)

The Police Association are not a Scheduled public Authority and are not subject to the Freedom of information (Jersey) Law 2011.