New police roles to tackle violence against women

More than a dozen new police roles will be created to tackle violence against women and girls, Jersey ministers have confirmed.

Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Senator Helen Miles confirmed the new roles in response to a question from deputy Samantha Gleave who asked how £5m allocated in the budget to tackling the issue would be spent.

Miles said the new roles were designed to increase capacity "within the system to meet current demand".

She said the funding would also go towards a number of other departments, including Justice and Home Affairs, to help introduce new laws protecting women.

In April a report from Jersey Police said the island had seen "significant increases in violence against women and girls".

Miles said almost £500,000 would go towards training staff on "addressing existing operational pressures" and providing the extra capacity needed.

The additional roles include eight detective constables, a digital forensic investigator and technician, as well as a telecomms specialist.

The minister said most of the money would be spent on work involving direct contact with victims but would also include training, digital forensics and technology.

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