Tynwald Debates Chief Constable’s Report
Chief Constable Gary Roberts is set to retire in 2022.
Tynwald this week debated the Chief Constable’s annual report. To save time, please take it as read that every member who spoke praised Gary Roberts, all the officers and every member of staff within the Constabulary for their incredibly hard work.
The report, which Gef has broken down into four pieces, looks at many aspects of policing the island and the challenges of the pandemic.
Our coverage was broken down into:
Recruitment, Assaults and Cyber Crime
This briefing should not be seen as a verbatim transcript of the debate, if you want to listen to the full debate, you can do so by clicking here.
Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Graham Cregeen:
I’d like to start by quoting from the Chief Constable’s letter to me: ‘The year was like no other as the Constabulary learned to deal with the effects of a global pandemic.’
Honourable members, how true that statement is
Life has changed for us all
We have faced unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic
The effects of this will remain with us for some time
The main themes is the Constabulary’s response to the pandemic
It has been a health crisis, as well as a human economic and social crisis
Over the past year we have endured three lockdowns each of which had their own challenges and the Constabulary played an important and vital role
They worked tirelessly with other gov agencies to safeguard health services and the public
The visible Police presence did a lot to enhance people’s sense of safety and ensure our island was protected
Their work was and is vital
My Dept is proud to work alongside them to ensure we live in a safe and secure island
We must also congratulate the other services in the dept who have worked so hard, these include Civil Defence volunteers, the Fire Service, the Prison service, the comms teams and all other members of staff
I’d also like to pay tribute to two much loved retired Sergeants who died this past year John Kinrade, better known as “Laxey”, and Richard ‘Ritchie’ Lloyd who died from the virus both of whom are sadly missed
The report is to be read online and allows comparisons with other jurisdictions and contains links to relevant data and graphs
Overall crime rose by 18% which is almost wholly composed of increase in the seizure of controlled drugs, low level assaults and fraud offences
The way in which online fraud was recorded was changed this year, previously it went to UK Action Fraud but now it is dealt with here, hence the 50% increase
The island continues to be one of the safest and most special places to live
The gov wants us all to live our lives safe from crime and danger and with the Constabulary’s hard work this is the case
They dealt with an 11% increase in mental health related incidents and higher levels of suicide and worked with a variety of partners to ensure effective help is there for the most vulnerable in our society
The Neighborhood Policing Teams, despite the lockdowns, have demonstrated they will make the island even safer
The policing plan for the next year highlights where the work is needed to be done and it will be done
Drug related crimes are continuing to be a focus for the Police and with the borders closed, gangs had to use alternative ways to get the drugs here and the cash away
As a result we had a record number of seizures
The success of the more frequent seizures of smaller amounts has led to the recording of more crimes
The proactive approach of the police, along with partners in the UK, in their efforts to disrupt and dismantle the supply of drugs has been critical in maintaining the safety of our island and lessening the often violent attacks associated with the illegal drugs world
It is concerning to see vulnerable children and adults being targeted by gangs
Young people are falling into the cycle of dealing and drug abuse, we must help them turn their lives around
I remain concerned about the continued drugs trade and as I highlighted last October, addiction, health problems, mental health problems, violence, debt, crime and sadly death are all consequences of this trade
Drugs destroy countless lives and we have highlighted this as a priority in the policing plan for this year
Violent crime has risen for three years in a row now
Some of this is due to better reporting practices but much of the increase is linked to the supply of controlled drugs
So we have also implemented a violent crime reduction plan to remove this scourge from our island
Gov has brought in a border force which works with the Constabulary
It is vitality important that more info on those who have travelled is gathered on people travelling to our island
Criminal activity also has the potential to damage our international reputation
We want to prevent crime, respond appropriately and rehabilitate those who offend, especially young offenders or those acting in an anti-social way
Pandemic has left its mark on young people’s mental health
Schools have their role to play to provide stability and consistency
There is also a need for further understanding for adverse childhood experiences in young people
Moving forward, it is crucial that we do everything we can to support young people and do our utmost to help them make the right choices
Chief Constable has highlighted the success of the youth team and the work of the specials in assisting the Constabulary
The pandemic further highlighted the issue of domestic abuse on our island
The police have worked to develop initiatives such as safe spaces in supermarkets and pharmacies where victims can contact support services and agencies
We have also worked to provide emergency accommodation for victims and families during lockdown
Our new domestic abuse bill has also moved to help bring abusers to justice
We also recognise the strength of public feeling around sexual offences
Over the year, there was a 15% increase in reporting of these offences
I am pleased that members of the public feel able to report what has happened to them
The opening of the SARC means victims will be able to get the assistance and the support they need on island
The progress of this was delayed by the pandemic but has picked up at a pace
I do want to praise the work the Constabulary does in assisting the victims of these crimes and bringing the guilty to justice
Our Constabulary remains the most successful in the British Isles and it is good they have worked to scrutinise their own procedures
I note with concern that outside of Covid the main reasons for absences for officers was mental health issues
We owe a great deal to these men and women and we need to support both their physical and mental health
There were seven complaints made to the police
These figures are very low and show how good the Constabulary is at what it does
Looking forward, the Chief Constable will retire in 2022 and as he takes a well deserved retirement, holding the accolade of being the first Manx officer to ride through the ranks
Succession planning is a key issue
While this has been hampered, I have discussed the issue of a Deputy Chief and this process is now underway
The future is hard to predict but we as an island community can continue to have confidence in our Constabulary
Jane Poole-Wilson: I’d like to begin by praising the hard work and dedication of our Constabulary
Much in the report to reflect on and consider
I want to pick up on young people
Welcome the police are already engaged in working with young people who are engaged in anti-social behaviour
But for some of our young people the work is much more complex and the police can’t do it alone
We need to try new things and adapt and evolve our approach
It is my hope that the new administration will take full note of this issue and engage all parts of the public service and third sector including Health, Social Care and Education
Daphne Caine: Another excellent report from Chief Constable
It is past time there is a strategic response to issues raised every year
Over £1m in drug seizures and young people are being used more to traffic drugs
Alarm bells should be sounding given the increasing numbers of violent assaults
The island’s drug legislation needs a serious review
We should be protecting people, not just criminalising young people
We need to discuss all decriminalising and legalising options
Onchan has suffered repeated incidents
Over 625 offences last year across the island and a rise in anti-social behaviour is a worrying spike
I worry we are losing a generation and we need to understand why
The pandemic has delayed progress and saw a 10% increase in offending in looked after children
Work will be undertaken to try to address this
Hats off to the police for collaborating with other agencies but more joined up thinking is needed
Optimistic that the education strategy will help but I am concerned that cuts to Education and Police has lead to some of this
The next gov needs to reverse the cuts of the past and invest in our young people
Highest ever level of mental health issues but funding for extra resources went to DHSC which resulted in a change to the system
When a recurring theme of self harm and suicides is clear, it is hard to see why this was done
We have an excellent police force but they need more support and better pay
This report highlights the need for improvements and the new administration needs to address social issues
We should look again at the blue light hub
We need fit for purpose accommodation for all of our emergency services
Police work well with their UK and European counterparts, $22m reclaimed in stolen bitcoin, well done
Our police did their best in an extremely difficult year
The new policy makers need to make sure these issues are addressed and that police budget bids are supported to keep up and officers safe
Martyn Perkins: Reading the report, it is clear the tentacles of evil have found their way to our island
We are no longer in a town and village situation, we need inner city responses
Whenever I hear sirens I worry if my daughter is working and I know this is the same across every emergency service
Every conceivable aspect of crime manifests here and the resources need to be there to support them
The police don’t come cap in hand for handouts, they just do the best they can
The next gov needs to get the SARC open, we need to increase the crisis team support
We need facial recognition and ID at boats and airports
Sniffer dogs should meet every arrival
Community policing needs to include clubs, schools, commissioners
We need a strong police cadet force and specials
And finally we need a complete review of our drug laws and to ensure the force is properly funded
Thank you all for your hard work and for how you dealt with Covid and the constantly changing laws we put in place
Bill Henderson: I have sat through 23 of these reports now and it strikes me that these topics are the same every year
We still worry about young people, drug crime, rising weapons offences
Maybe we need a review of what it is we’re doing policy wise, legislative wise and resource wise
I’m sure some of my comments will come as no surprise but firstly I want to thank Gary Roberts and all of his officers for their Herculean effort this past year
It’s not just been law and order issues but also the pandemic
We were imposing sets of every changing laws on them and they dealt with it expertly
Our police also have to deal with serious assaults and crime
They are spat at, bitten, punched, kicked, threatened and even threats involving weapons, that is the kind of thing they have to face and as far as I’m concerned, people act like that have no place in our community or our society
Drugs have been highlighted and I’ve had my own briefings about this and we had the Tynwald briefing and all I can say is that the executive have to give more weight to what the police are pointing out
When you’re under resourced to start with, it is never easy and the executive has to resolve this
Central gov is going to have to raise this as a principal issue
I’ve had officers pleading as to what the situation is
If we’re serious about this, we need to get serious about it
We need to look at what specialist services we can do on island or what we need to send off island
We are not addressing the issue of mental health properly
Through the press and what the police report, there is a rise in sex offences, especially those affecting young people
We need to get a grip of this and take some operational decisions to protect our young people going forward
If our children were involved we’d be pushing for more to be done and we need to get real about how we manage this going forward
To end on a positive note, we have a very safe community and that is because of the police
Bill Shimmins: Officers obviously can’t be on every street at every hour and that would be undesirable
But I would like to know when the portal to enable the public to upload footage for the police to investigate will be open
This will make our roads safer
The scourge of drugs comes out clearly and it is driving the rise in crime
I hope the Manx border force will monitor all those who are coming and going to our island and should share it with the Constabulary
I know some people oppose this and I understand it but for me that is outweighed by the need to protect our island
If it is easy to go shopping or to watch football then it easy to bring in heroine
Julie Edge: Officers worked through very difficult times
In Onchan there have been difficulties but with the response from the Police we have seen improvements
They have taken a targeted approach to the issues and we’ve seen improvements
I don’t want to see young people criminalised for silly behaviour
We need support in place and early intervention
Borders are one of our greatest assets and with immigration services we can remain safe
But it needs to be resourced properly
The Post Office has supported the police and the use of the postal service by drug dealers is a big concern for our posties
We need to support mental health services properly and if more resources is required then we should make sure the police have the support they need
Next gov needs to look more at social media and online behaviours
Police have very limited powers and I hope the next administration will bring in legislation to support our young people, our schools and our teachers to deal with the rise in online issues
Chris Robertshaw: I want to focus on one point, recruitment and retention
I have been banging on about this for five years
Brexit has changed everything
With rate of pay going up for non-skilled and semi-skilled workers, this is affecting our ability to recruit
We have an end of benign inflation
The Chief Constable said he is concerned about the rates of pay for junior officers
They are working volatile shift patterns and combined with low pay, all the good things we’re seeing now will start to dissipate like dry sand between our fingers
The next house needs to address this issue
The Manx Gov must direct more funds towards front line services and more become more productive and streamlined
There is going to be a cost to this and we need to find the money
Tanya August-Hanson MLC: I want to focus on drugs and youth services, I spoke on this last year and they’re still present
I want the Minister to answer whether we will continue ID checks on the Steam Packet and how we can use information to target crime
I share the concerns of Mr Robertshaw about recruitment and retention
We have passed a lot of legislation which needs to be followed up with training and extra resources.
Paul Quine: My first speech to Tynwald was on drug crime and anti-social behaviour
Since being elected, we’ve been engaged in working with the police to highlight ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour and how they are seeking to reduce this
Several of our elderly constituents live in fear about going out of their houses
Recently I was sent a video of a group of tanked up men fighting in the middle of afternoon
I hope when the new gov comes in we can put greater resources into resolving this
I have been out on a Saturday night with the police and seen the harrowing issues they have to deal with
Graham Cregeen: Cheers everyone, the police have a very hard job
Engagement with young people does need to be looked at and the Justice Reform Bill will address this and lead to more joined up working
We are organising regional events for neighbourhood policing where the police will be going out and explaining what they’re doing to try and help people
We are doing a review into illicit drugs and their future
Pre-school funding has doubled during this administration and we’ve put quality standards in there so it should be better than it was before
Joined up working with Manx Care will restart the partnership working
Blue Light Hub concept has been agreed and we’re working on it
It will be a big programme but how it is phased will be a big issue for the next gov
Police pay will be reviewed with the Chief Constable
The SARC was delayed by Covid but we’re pushing on with that and a domestic abuse refuge
We need to protect our borders and I want the border agency to work with the police in that
They are meeting both boats and planes, which should send a message to people wanting to get drugs in that our borders are manned
There will be a new sentencing bill in the next administration
The portal Mr Shimmins raised is a year behind schedule, it is due to Covid and can’t be helped
The inclusion group work is extremely important and is highly valued going forward
We have put in a bid for increased resources for border forces not only at Sea Terminal and Airport but at all of our ports
New recruit pay is too low and next gov needs to look at that and key worker housing to get new people in here
Mortgages are not easy to come by for young people and we need to help our key workers
Mr Roberts will be deeply missed when he leaves and I just want to finish by thanking all of our officers for the work they do
