Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): twenty-third amendment. Increased Police funding

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): TWENTY-

THIRD AMENDMENT

INCREASED POLICE FUNDING

Lodged au Greffe on 24th November 2025

by the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel Earliest date for debate: 8th December 2025

STATES GREFFE

2025  P.70 Amd.(23)

PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029  (P.70/2025): TWENTY-THIRD AMENDMENT

____________

1  PAGE 3, PARAGRAPH (b)(viii) –

After the words "as set out in the Appendix 2 – Summary Tables (5)(i) and (ii) of the Report" insert the words –

", except that, in Summary Table 5(i), the head of expenditure for "Health and Care Jersey" shall be reduced by £240,000 and the head of expenditure entitled "States of Jersey Police" shall be increased by £240,000".

 CHILDREN, EDUCATION AND HOME AFFAIRS SCRUTINY PANEL

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

1. In accordance with Article 16 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 (the Law) to approve an amendment to the Government Plan 2025 – 2028 (entitled "Budget 2025 – 2028") to a reduction in the 2025 head of expenditure "Grants to States Funds" as included in Table 5(i) Revenue Heads of Expenditure of that Government Plan from £119,821,000 to £69,821,000.
2. To receive the Government Plan 2026 – 2029 (entitled "Budget 2026-2029") specified in Article 9(1) of the Law and specifically –

1. to approve the estimate of total States income to be paid into the Consolidated Fund in 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law.
2. to refer to their Act dated 24th June 2003 in which they approved that no new user pays' charges be introduced without any such charge receiving prior in principle approval by the States Assembly and accordingly to approve the introduction of two new charges, to be levied by Health and Care Jersey to promote appropriate use of the  Emergency  Department  and  for  repeated  non-attendance  of outpatient  appointments,  detailed  in  the  section  entitled "Departmental Income Sources" as set out in the Appendix to the accompanying Report.
3. to  approve  the  proposed  Changes  to  Approval  for financing/borrowing for 2026, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approval amounts.

4. to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2026 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law.
5. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Stabilisation Fund in 2026 of up to £50 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on the availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of the estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2026.
6. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Agricultural Loans Fund in 2026 of up to £5 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of estimates  provided  in  this  plan,  or  from  budgeted  underspends identified before 31st December 2026;
7. to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2026 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the  proposed  total  cost  of  a  major  project  under  a  previously approved Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 4 to the Report.

viii.  to  approve  the  proposed  amount  to  be  appropriated  from  the

Consolidated Fund for 2026, for each head of expenditure, being gross  expenditure  less  estimated  income  (if  any),  in  line  with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report, except that, in Summary Table 5(i), the head of expenditure for "Health and Care Jersey" shall be reduced by £240,000 and the head of expenditure entitled "States of Jersey Police" shall be increased by £240,000.

9. to approve the estimated income, being estimated gross income less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2026 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report.
10. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading  operation's  trading  fund  for  2026  for  each  head  of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report.
11. to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report.
12. to  approve,  in  accordance  with  Article  9(1)  of  the  Law,  the Government  Plan  2026-2029,  as  set  in  the  Appendix  to  the accompanying Report.

REPORT

Summary

The purpose of this Amendment to the Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 (hereafter the "Budget") is to increase the head of expenditure for the States of Jersey Police Force in 2026 to assist with their cost pressures.

Why is this Amendment needed?

During the course of its scrutiny review of the Budget the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel (hereafter the Panel') has learned that the States of Jersey Police (hereafter the SoJP') will have some significant cost pressures in 2026.

The Panel particularly notes that:

• The budget for the Digital Forensics Unit has been reduced by £47,000; and

• The Police Community Safety Policing Team will be reduced and 3 officers will be reallocated to other areas in order to adapt to demand. The number of police constables in the team in 2025 was 9, however, this will be reduced to 6 in 2026.

Approximately 91% of the SoJP Head of Expenditure is staff costs, and this ratio of staff to non-staff costs can create challenges when budgets are under pressure and savings are required to be made as there is very little room for flexibility.

The States of Jersey Police Authority has also advised the Panel that it is "concerned that the budget profile set out in the current Government Plan represents a reduction in the resourcing available to SoJP. This is occurring at a time when the complexity, breadth and intensity of policing demand in Jersey continue to grow".1

One of the Government of Jersey's Common Strategic Policy priorities is to "Implement the recommendations from the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce report". The  Minister  for  Justice  and  Home  Affairs  has  confirmed  that  future  proposed legislative changes will increase demand on investigative teams and that the financial and manpower resources for any legislation will need to be taken considered by the States Assembly. The Panel understands that there are already impacts on the SoJP due to  greater  awareness  and  the  impact  of  the  Violence  Against  Women  and  Girls Taskforce report, and this requires acknowledgement and attention.

Digital Forensics

One of the areas that SoJP funding has been reduced is in Digital Forensics. This is an important area of policing and the Panel believes that it requires support. During a public hearing the Panel questioned the Police Chief and was provided with the following information:

Deputy C.D. Curtis :

1 Written Submission – Budget 2026 – 2029 Review – Jersey Police Authority – 12th November 2025

Yes. I was going to ask you some questions about digital forensics. Do you think it is sufficiently funded or needs more?

Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police:

The simple answer to that, Deputy , is no. We are in no different position to and I visited the Chief in Guernsey yesterday. Our Digital Forensics Unit or High-Tech Crime Unit, as it gets often described, is under enormous pressure, both in terms of kit and in terms of people and in terms of software. None of this gets cheaper but I was at National Police Chiefs' Council a while ago and there was a suggestion that 92 per cent of all investigations involve one of those so they have overtaken fingerprints, D.N.A. (deoxyribonucleic acid) and we need to invest in this. We have got investment for 2026, but we will need to have a long, hard look about where it takes us. [2]

The Chief Officer of SoJP also advised the Panel that digital forensics "is good for the delivery of swift justice so if technicians are able to examine information on telephones quickly, that can often generate a quicker judicial process. It can often generate a quicker guilty plea which is good for everybody along the line." [3]

Police Community Safety Policing Team (PCST)

The Community Police Officers are important in supporting community and cultural events, supporting the Parishes and Honorary Police, and supporting local schools. This is important as it is a way that many members of the community, particularly children and young people, get to interact with and learn about the police in a positive way.

In 2021 it was reported that the Community Policing Team would consist of 16 officers in total, 12 to work within the parishes and four to work with the Island's schools and young people.[4] Since that time, the size of this team has been reduced, and the Panel is concerned that it is the PCST team which will be reduced further and officers redistributed to other areas due to other demands, such as the Public Protection Unit. [5]

SoJP savings:

In response to queries about how the SoJP would make its savings targets and remain within its allocated budget, the Panel was advised that 2 police staff posts had been removed within the Business Support unit to make 2025 savings, and the following actions had also already been taken:

6

Why reduce the Health and Care budget?

The Panel acknowledges the difficulty in identifying funding from other areas and departments for re-purposing, however, has chosen to source the proposed increase in funding for SoJP from the Health and Care budget due to its links to community safety and prevention.

The Building a Safer Community Framework highlights "the importance of prevention" and, also "the influence of social determinants of health on community safety issues"7 and, for this reason, the Panel believes in the importance of the Community Policing Team in promoting early intervention, fostering trust between the police and the public, and addressing the root causes of crime and antisocial behaviour. By working closely with schools, youth services, and local communities, the Community Policing Team plays  a  vital  role  in  preventing  harm,  supporting  vulnerable  individuals,  and contributing to the overall wellbeing and resilience of the Island's population.

Calculation

The Panel has suggested £240,000 additional funding to SoJP, which is made up of £47,000 for the Digital Forensics Unit and £193,000 for additional resource to support the Community Policing Team. For reference, the 2025 published pay scales for police constables are shared below (2026 is not published yet):

6 Letter – Minister for Justice and Home Affairs to CEHA Scrutiny Panel – Budget 2026-2029 Review – 17th October 2025

7 Building a Safer Community Delivery Framework, https://www.gov.je/stayingsafe/community/projects/pages/bascframework.aspx (accessed 20/11/2025)

8

Conclusion

This amendment has not sought to address the full staffing cost pressures faced by the SoJP in 2026, however, has sought to secure additional funding which will support vital areas for the public, namely the Digital Forensics unit and the PCST.

Financial and staffing implications

There will be a negative impact on the Health and Care Head of Expenditure in the sum of £240,000.

The use of the £240,000 for the SoJP is intended to provide funding for the Digital Forensics Unit and to provide three further resources to the PCST to support community policing.

Children's Rights Impact Assessment

A Children's Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) has been prepared in relation to this proposition and is available to read on the States Assembly website.

8 States of Jersey - Police Service Pay, https://www.gov.je/SiteCollectionDocuments/Working%20in%20Jersey/GD%20Police%20pa y%20scales.pdf (accessed 20/11/2025)

[2] Transcript – Public Hearing with the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs – 28th October 2025, p.11

[3] Ibid

[4] Jersey Police Annual Report 2021, p.20

[5] Transcript – Public Hearing with the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs – 28th October 2025, p.12