Arrests arriving into Jersey from UK airports (FOI)

Request

​A

What is the number of drug convictions in Jersey over the last ten years? Please break this down by gender?

​B

How many people have been arrested whilst arriving in Jersey from Manchester or Liverpool flights? Please list the number for each city airport? 

Please compare this as a whole to arrests made in all the other UK regions?

C

How many people have been arrested whilst arriving in Jersey by boat and originate from Liverpool or Manchester?

Please compare this as a whole to arrests made in all the other UK regions?

D

What is the number of drug convictions of people who originate from the North West region (namely Liverpool and Manchester)?

Please can you compare this as a whole to convictions made in all the other UK regions?

E

Please can you break down the value of drug seizures over the last ten years?

F

How many people are employed by the States of Jersey Police and work for the Drug Squad?

Response

A

Please see table in attached document.

Tables.pdf​

B

The States of Jersey Police custody record database records the fact that an individual was arrested at the Airport, but not the specific flight an individual arrived on; therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

C

Please see table in attached document.

D

Please see table in attached document.

E

The States of Jersey Police is unable to answer this question as the value of every drug seizure is not recorded, therefore, Article 3 of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

F

Resourcing levels of the States of Jersey Police’s Drug Squad are being withheld and Article 42(a), (b) and (c) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

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;

Prejudice Test

The size of the States of Jersey Police’s Drug Squad is undoubtably of interest to the general public, including both drug dealers locally, and organised crime gangs looking to traffic illegal drugs into the island on a commercial scale. Disclosure of police capabilities could provide these criminals with a tactical advantage when looking to evade detection and undermine law enforcement. This places the community at increased unnecessary risk of harm and impacts on police resources if additional resources and tactics need to be put in place to counter any harm caused by an adverse Freedom of Information disclosure.

Public Interest Test

Factors favouring disclosure

There is a legitimate public interest in the public being satisfied that the States of Jersey Police’s Drug Squad is adequately resourced to counter the fight against drug dealers and criminal gangs. 

Factors favouring non-disclosure

The States of Jersey Police has a duty to deliver effective law enforcement and to protect the community from the harm that illegal drugs cause. Disclosure of resources and capabilities of the Drug Squad could provide criminals with a tactical advantage and thereby compromise operations that are designed to enforce the law and protect public safety. 

Balance Test

While acknowledging that the public is interested to know the size of the States of Jersey Police’s Drug Squad, in order to avoid compromising operations and public safety, the public interest is best served by not disclosing exact numbers of officers.​