Government of Jersey

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A decision made 22 July 2010 regarding: Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police - Resignation Statement to States Assembly and withdrawal of P.30/2010.

Decision Reference: MD-HA-2010-0051
Decision Summary Title :	Deputy Police Chief Resignation	Date of Decision Summary:	21 July 2010
Decision Summary Author:	Executive Officer Home Affairs	Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written	Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title :	Statement to the States Assembly regarding the resignation of the Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police	Date of Written Report:	19 July 2010
Written Report Author:	Minister for Home Affairs	Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Resignation of the Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police, approval of the wording of the statement to the States Assembly, withdrawal of P.30/2010 and the need to recommence the appointment process.
Decision(s): The Minister accepted the resignation of the Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police, with effect from 31 December 2010; requested the withdrawal of P.30/2010, which relates to the appointment of the Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police; approved the Statement to be made to the States Assembly regarding the decision by the Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police not to be further considered for the post of Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police and decided to commence the appointment process to find a new Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police.
Reason(s) for Decision: The States are responsible for appointing the Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police. It is therefore appropriate that the States should be informed of the decision of the Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police, to resign as they were due to debate P.30/2010 (the appointment of the Deputy Chief Officer to the role of Chief Officer) in September 2010. Following the resignation of the Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police, the proposition relating to his appointment as Chief Officer, falls away. The Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police, will leave the post at the end of December 2010 and a recruitment process to find a new Chief Officer, involving the Appointments Commission should commence as soon as possible.

Resource Implications: There will be some costs associated with the recruitment process.
Action required: The Executive Officer, Home Affairs, to progress the Ministerial Decision.
Signature:	Position: Minister for Home Affairs
Date Signed:	Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Deputy Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police - Resignation Statement to States Assembly and withdrawal of P.30/2010

Statement of the Home Affairs Minister

Sir

I rise to inform the States that the Acting Chief of Police, David Warcup has informed me that he is no longer willing to be considered for the post of Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police and that as a result he will be leaving the force on 31st December 2010. It is with great regret that I have accepted his decision. I have asked the Greffier to circulate a copy of his statement which is now on Members desks.

Members will know that I lodged a Proposition in March of this year in which I asked the States to agree to his appointment. Mr Warcup was originally appointed under Appointments Commission oversight. At that time he was assessed against the requirements of the Chief Officer of Police post. He was therefore appointed with the express commitment that he would become the Chief Officer subject to a further assessment at that time and subject to the agreement of the States. I confirm that Mr Warcup has demonstrated his ability and suitability during his time as Acting Chief Officer and this has been validated by the panel chaired by the Appointments Commission.

I am therefore extremely disappointed that the delay and subsequent politicisation of the process has resulted in his decision to leave the States of Jersey Police.

As Home Affairs Minister, I have worked with Mr Warcup for the past 19 months. I have found him to be a man of integrity with a deep understanding of Policing in all of its aspects. He has demonstrated his ability to manage and motivate police officers in order to improve performance and increase the professionalism of the Force. What has most impressed has been his selfless commitment, regardless of the personal consequences, to expose the failings that have been identified by the Metropolitan Police and Wiltshire in order that justice could be served.

I would also like to recognise that Mr Warcup has shown his empathy for policing in a small island community and under his leadership, with my full support, the Police Force is starting to demonstrate a real recognition that effective policing is not done to a community, but only with the support of the community.

I am extremely saddened that events of recent months have resulted in the loss of an extremely able and committed officer who I believe would have lead the States of Jersey Police to become a more effective Police Force.

Whilst I am saddened by the loss of Mr Warcup, we have secured his services until 31st December 2010 in order to manage as smooth a transition as possible to a new Chief Police Officer.

Under the Appointments Commission oversight, I will be starting the appointment process immediately and I hope to have secured the appointment of a suitably experienced and qualified officer by the end of September. This should allow the new Chief of Police to be in post at or very soon after Mr Warcup’s departure.

I think that we as the States’ elected representatives must seriously reflect on our roles in the events of recent months and how we will avoid any similar repetition in the future.

I hope that Members of the Assembly will join with me in thanking Mr Warcup for his selfless and unstinting commitment to serving the Community of Jersey and that we will all wish him well for the future.