Police resourcing, counter terrorism and armed officers (FOI)

Request

A

How many paramedics were on duty on 30 October 2021? Please include number of vehicles

B

What is the government doing about the staff shortages in the emergency services? (Ambulance service and Police service).

C

Does States of Jersey Police conduct any counter terrorism work such as ‘officers actively looking online for suspicious behaviour, training officers the concept of counter terrorism (and what to look out for), any officers with advance experience in dealing with terrorism, and so on?

D

Is there armed police based at Jersey airport and Jersey harbour? If not why?

Response

A

In the 24-hour period of the 30 October 2021 there were seven Paramedics including the Leading paramedics, these were split across two shifts. Please note that this was just the paramedics on duty other grades of medical staff were also on duty.

In the day there were three double crewed ambulances, intermediary ambulance, a response car and an officer car in the day. At night there were two double crewed ambulances, intermediary ambulance until 23:00hrs two response cars and an officer car on call.

B

The States of Jersey Ambulance Service are currently recruiting for one vacancy with applications received, other than this current paramedic positions are fully recruited to.

The States of Jersey Police has a small number of police staff vacancies through natural turn-over that they are in process of filling.

C

The States of Jersey Police neither confirms nor denies if officers actively look online for such suspicious behaviour, or whether any officers have advance experience of dealing with terrorism. Article 27 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 is engaged.

However, in a Freedom of Information response of 2019, we published details of the PREVENT strategy, which is a collaborative piece of work between law enforcement agencies and partners to aid the early identification of potential signs of extremism or radicalisation. As this information is already publicly available, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Extremism, radicalisation and the Prevent strategy (FOI)

D

The States of Jersey Police neither confirm nor deny whether armed police are based at either Jersey Airport or Jersey Harbours. Articles 27 and 42 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 are applied.

Articles Applied

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.

Article 27 -National security

(1) Information which does not fall within Article 26A(1) is absolutely exempt information if exemption from the obligation to disclose it under this Law is required to safeguard national security.

Article 42 - Law enforcement

Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice –

(a) the prevention, detection or investigation of crime, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

(b) the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, whether in respect of offences committed in Jersey or elsewhere;

(c) the administration of justice, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

(d) the assessment or collection of a tax or duty or of an imposition of a similar nature;

(e) the operation of immigration controls, whether in Jersey or elsewhere.

Public Interest Test

Public disclosure of our firearm strategies and capabilities would assist potential criminals if planning on mounting an attack or committing crime. Whilst we appreciate that members of the public would be interested to know such details, we have concluded that the public interest (public safety) is best protected by not disclosing such details.