Guernsey Police record 485 domestic abuse offences under new coercive control law
- Guernsey Police recorded 485 domestic abuse offences under new legislation introduced in June 2025, resulting in 66 arrests and 11 Domestic Abuse Protection Orders
- Annual report for 2025 reveals total recorded crime increased less than 1% to 2,215 offences, with offences against the person accounting for 51% of all crime at 1,131 cases
- Sexual offences rose 9% to 258 reported cases, with officers making 115 arrests and bringing 72 charges following specialist Soteria training
- Road collisions decreased 9% to 331 incidents, but drink driving cases surged 40% to 92 and mobile phone violations rose 82% to 53 fixed penalty tickets
- Anti-social behaviour calls fell 8.5% to 1,189 following targeted patrols at hotspot locations, whilst mental health calls increased 6% to 572 incidents
Guernsey Police recorded 485 domestic abuse offences in the second half of 2025 following the implementation of comprehensive new legislation that recognises coercive control and non-physical abuse as crimes.
The new domestic abuse law, which became operational in June 2025, represents the most significant legislative development for the force during the year. Since its introduction, officers have made 66 arrests, issued 13 Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and secured 11 Domestic Abuse Protection Orders.
The legislation introduced several new offences including domestic abuse recognising coercive control, child cruelty covering non-physical forms, causing or allowing death or serious harm in the household, and threatening to disclose private sexual images.
Domestic Abuse Protection Notices provide short-term protection for up to 72 hours, whilst Domestic Abuse Protection Orders can restrict contact for up to two years — significantly longer than the 28-day limit in the UK. Breaching a notice can result in up to two years imprisonment, while breaching an order carries up to five years. Two breaches of protection orders have been prosecuted since June.
The figures are contained in the Guernsey Police Annual Report for 2025.
Deputy Chief Officer Richard Bell said the force had made tangible progress in its approach to protecting communities and addressing serious crime during 2025, despite continued high demands on policing.
"I am committed to providing a professional, trusted and compassionate policing service that is engaged with, and responsive to, the people we serve," he said.
Total recorded crime across the Bailiwick increased by less than 1% to 2,215 offences in 2025, up from 2,189 in 2024. Offences against the person accounted for 1,131 cases, representing 51% of all crime recorded during the year.
Violence against the person offences totalled 1,084, including 535 common assaults on adults, 124 common assaults on children or young persons under 17, and 162 cases of conduct amounting to harassment. Officers recorded 64 domestic abuse offences under the new legislation, 62 assaults on police officers, and 30 threats to kill.
Sexual offences rose 9% to 258 reported cases in 2025. Police made 115 arrests for sexual offences and brought 72 charges or summons. The recorded offences included 69 rapes, 67 sexual assaults, five rapes of a child under 13, and 10 sexual assaults of a child under 13.
In June 2025, accredited trainers from the UK's Operation Soteria programme, supported by academics from The Open University, delivered specialist training to detectives and Law Officers. The training focused on modern investigative approaches and tools designed to improve outcomes for victims of rape and serious sexual offences.
Guernsey Police implemented a specialist policy for investigating non-contact sexual offences during the year, with these cases now assigned to Crime Services. Investigative approaches and victim support for non-contact sexual offences now match those for rape and serious sexual offences.
More than 30 venues registered for the Safe Place Project as part of efforts to improve safety in the nighttime economy. Police officers trained alongside bar staff to recognise, prevent and respond to predatory behaviour. The force deployed intelligence-led presence to deter and rapidly respond to public order and sexual offences, conducting multiple problem-solving operations throughout the year using uniform and plain-clothed deployments.
Road collisions decreased 9% to 331 incidents in 2025. The year saw one fatal collision and eight serious injury collisions, with 101 slight injury collisions recorded. Total killed or seriously injured incidents numbered nine.
Drivers and riders accounted for 82 casualties, including one fatality, six serious injuries and 75 slight injuries. Vehicle and pillion passengers sustained 11 casualties, whilst pedestrians accounted for 17 casualties, all classified as slight injuries.
Vulnerable road users were involved in 42 collisions, comprising 17 incidents with pedestrians and 25 with cyclists. Some 27% of community survey respondents expressed concern about being a victim of driving-related offences.
The Roads Policing Unit focused enforcement on the "fatal five" behaviours most commonly contributing to road incidents: drink or drug driving, speeding, mobile phone use, not wearing seatbelts, and careless driving.
Drink driving incidents rose 40% to 92 cases in 2025. Seven breathalyser readings registered above 108mg — three times the legal limit. Officers issued 53 fixed penalty tickets for mobile phone use while driving, an increase of 82% from 2024.
Anti-social behaviour calls for service fell 8.5% to 1,189 in 2025. Dedicated targeted patrol operations on response shifts and focused engagement with young persons at hotspot locations including Town Terminus, Beau Sejour and Admiral Park contributed to notable decreases in anti-social behaviour at key locations.
Officers delivered over 530 hours of school liaison sessions and assemblies during the year. Educational programmes focused on driver safety, online safety, sextortion workshops, assemblies, staff awareness training, parent and carer forums, and media campaigns to prevent fraud and blackmail targeting children and young adults.
Mental health calls for service increased 6% to 572 incidents in 2025.
The force achieved a positive outcome rate of 23%, consistent with 2024 figures. Officers applied 424 charges for criminal offences, with 423 individuals charged or summonsed. Alternative charges were brought in 45 cases, whilst 46 adult police cautions were administered.
Seven community resolution or restorative justice outcomes were recorded for adults and 11 for youths. Law Officers determined 17 cases were not in the public interest to prosecute, with police making the same determination in 25 cases.
The High-Tech Crime Unit processed 708 digital forensic and CCTV requests during 2025. The small dedicated unit dealt with increasing workload and complexity, supporting prosecutions and intelligence gathering across borders, financial and traditional criminal arenas.
Crime recording compliance reached 95% overall, earning an excellent green rating when measured against the National Crime Recording Standard. Victim-focused compliance stood at 89%, receiving a fair amber rating. Strict compliance is targeted for serious offences including rape, harassment, burglary, robbery, assault and sexual offences.
Drug offences excluding border incidents totalled 63, comprising 55 possession cases, five concerned in supply, two cultivating cannabis and one production of a controlled drug.
Fraud offences numbered 33, including 16 cases of fraud by false representation, 10 by abuse of position, three obtaining services dishonestly, and four possession of articles for use in fraud.
Burglary offences totalled 60, with 26 residential burglaries and thefts, 14 business or community burglaries and thefts, six burglaries with intent to cause unlawful damage, and three burglaries and thefts from residential outbuildings.
Theft offences numbered 273, including 15 cases of obtaining money transfer by deception and seven instances of taking a pedal cycle without authority.
Criminal damage and arson offences reached 297, comprising 93 incidents of damage to vehicles, 76 other criminal damage, 63 residential criminal damage, 38 criminal damage to business or community buildings, and 14 arson cases.
Public order offences totalled 44, including 21 cases of fear or provocation of violence by words or behaviour, eight using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, five breaches of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders, and five affrays.
Weapons offences included 11 cases of possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and four cases of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Traffic offences totalled 1,995, with disc parking violations accounting for 820, motor vehicle lighting offences 233, third party insurance violations 125, speeding 120, traffic signs offences 112, and drink drive offences 98.
Chief Officer Damian Kitchen completed his first full year of service as Chief Officer and Head of Law Enforcement. The force promoted 13 officers during the year, including one superintendent, two chief inspectors, five inspectors and five sergeants. The promotions included an increase in female officers in middle-ranking roles, aligning with the force's HeForShe initiative to address barriers to promotion.
Five recruits from 2024 completed their first full year of service, whilst seven new probationary constables passed out in early 2026. Agency staff and mutual aid officers filled critical vacancies and specialist roles during periods of high turnover.
Work began on remodelling the police structure through a Target Operating Model to prioritise areas of greatest community concern and ensure operational portfolios are resilient with appropriate supervision. A dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Inspector with dedicated team was appointed, signalling commitment to community engagement and officer visibility.
Eighteen police sergeants completed College of Policing-accredited Custody Officer courses within the first two months of 2026, strengthening confidence in managing detainee care to national standards.
The Vetting Unit completed 824 vetting checks, declining five, and 94 security checks, declining 20. Vetting procedures evolved during 2025 to align with developing national best practice following high-profile incidents across the UK.
Custody statistics showed 1,035 custody records in 2025, with 421 arrested persons readily identified as being under the influence of alcohol, representing 41% of the total.
Police conducted 199 stop and search incidents under the Police Powers and Criminal Evidence Law 2003. Officers searched 84 times for drugs, 38 for stolen goods, 20 for criminal damage, 17 for offensive weapons, 13 for firearms, 12 for going equipped, 11 for other reasons, and four for public order. The searches resulted in 35 arrests. No authorities for stop and search in anticipation of violence were issued during the year.
Officers conducted 44 strip searches in police detention, comprising 39 males and five females. The age breakdown showed eight persons aged 17-24, 16 aged 25-34, 14 aged 35-44, and six aged 45 or over. No strip searches were conducted on persons under 17. No intimate searches were conducted during the year.
Police investigated 74 sudden deaths in 2025. Death certificates were issued in 28 cases, post mortems requested in 35, with 11 cases ongoing at year end. Following post mortem examinations, 29 deaths were attributed to natural causes. Following inquests, one death was ruled suicide, two accidental death, and two industrial disease.
Firearms certificates in force numbered 457 at year end. Police granted 21 new certificates, renewed 80, varied 49, and recorded 27 cancelled or surrendered and one revoked.
Shotgun certificates in force totalled 579. Officers granted 21 new certificates, renewed 118, varied 69, and recorded 50 cancelled or surrendered, six revoked, and four reinstated.
Hunting permits saw 10 renewals, three cancelled or surrendered, one revoked, and one reinstatement. Registered firearm dealers numbered 11 renewed and one varied.
The Professional Standards and Counter Corruption Unit received 68 conduct complaints in 2025, up from 62 in 2024. Authority, respect and courtesy accounted for 59% of complaints, duties and responsibilities 52%, orders and instructions 15%, use of force 13%, confidentiality 9%, equality and diversity 9%, and discreditable conduct 4%.
The unit referred 24 public complaints to the Police Complaints Commission, investigated 14 matters for professional standards raised internally, and dealt with 21 organisation complaints regarding quality of service.
Alderney recorded 34 total offences in 2025, including seven common assaults on adults, two vehicle thefts, three criminal damage to vehicle incidents, and two criminal damage to business or community buildings. Traffic offences in Alderney totalled five, comprising two third party insurance violations, two provisional licence holder violations, and one drink drive offence.
Three major modernisation projects are underway with completion expected in 2026: digitisation of the Fixed Penalty Notice system, roll-out of a semi-automated digital evidence management system, and preparation for national roll-out of the Law Enforcement Data Service to replace the Police National Computer. Additional modernisation efforts focus on cyber security, vetting and performance management aligned with updated national standards.
Guernsey Police provided support for significant community events in 2025, including the 80th Liberation Day and visit of the Princess Royal, and the 80th anniversary of Alderney Homecoming and visit of the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Chief Officer Kitchen acknowledged both achievements and challenges in his foreword, noting "resourcing pressures felt across frontline operations and investigations" whilst expressing pride in officers and staff for service delivered throughout the year. He thanked temporary contract staff and mutual aid officers who "stepped in to support critical vacancies and specialist roles."
Kitchen emphasised ongoing development: "We are still developing the neighbourhood policing model and refreshed investigations approaches, so we will see greater progress next time I report."
He concluded: "Their dedication continues to make our community a safer place, and it remains a privilege to lead them."
The force received 1,698 responses to its Police Community Survey and held a public Chief's event to explain findings. Trial Police & Communities Together meetings were held in St Peter Port and Alderney as part of community engagement efforts.
Q&A
Q: What are Domestic Abuse Protection Orders and how long can they last?
A: Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) are court orders that can restrict contact for up to two years in Guernsey, significantly longer than the 28-day UK limit. Breaching a DAPO carries up to five years imprisonment. Since June 2025, 11 DAPOs have been secured and two breaches prosecuted.
Q: How many sexual offences were recorded in 2025 and what training did officers receive?
A: Guernsey Police recorded 258 sexual offences in 2025, a 9% increase from 2024. Officers made 115 arrests and brought 72 charges. In June 2025, detectives and Law Officers received specialist training from UK Operation Soteria trainers and Open University academics, focusing on modern investigative approaches to improve outcomes for victims of rape and serious sexual offences.
Q: What were the main factors behind the decrease in road collisions?
A: Road collisions decreased 9% to 331 incidents in 2025. The Roads Policing Unit focused enforcement on the 'fatal five' behaviours: drink or drug driving, speeding, mobile phone use, not wearing seatbelts, and careless driving. However, drink driving incidents actually rose 40% to 92 cases, and mobile phone violations increased 82%, suggesting targeted enforcement in these areas.
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