The island’s Chief Constable has warned the force will struggle to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour if more isn’t done to recruit and retain staff.

In his first report annual report after taking over from predecessor Gary Roberts, Chief Constable Russ Foster has taken the opportunity to plead for more cash to maintain the success the force has enjoyed over the past year.

His report highlights a 5% reduction in overall recorded crime and a 6% rise in the detection rate to 54%. He also reveals the police received over 14,000 calls for help and made 1,900 arrests.

However, Mr Foster says this cannot be maintained unless staffing levels can be improved.

He said: ‘The greatest vulnerability for the Isle of Man Constabulary (IOMC) and the one which causes me the most concern is the recruitment and retention of police officers.

‘I have already responded to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in desperation to seek a sustainable resolution in terms of police pay which appears to be a key driver in police officers leaving the IOMC.’

Without a cash boost, Mr Foster paints a rather bleak picture, particularly for community policing.

He said: ‘The government has predicted considerable financial challenges lie ahead. A decade ago the IOMC lost close to 18% of its budget and almost 20% of its staff due to similar budget constraints.

‘The impact was felt at a local level which saw the withdrawal of neighbourhood policing from our communities. As a consequence there was a change in how some young people behaved and an emergence of the exploitation of young and vulnerable people by drug dealers.

‘High quality, properly resourced neighbourhood policing is the cornerstone of policing, but history shows that more often than not, it’s the first area of policing to be cut in order to preserve the emergency response function.

‘Any reduction in its scope and scale would be deeply regrettable. However, with the current budgetary constraints, against a backdrop of deficient staffing levels, the early indications are that we may have to retrench from community policing and other non-emergency functions.

‘I have no doubt that this will denude the ability of the IOMC to continue to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as securing the exceptional positive outcome rate for victims of crime.’

Mr Foster does say improvements already introduced are having a positive impact but more is needed.

He said: ‘The early indications are that the starting pay for police officers will be increased to align with the Island living wage which should have a positive impact on recruitment.

‘However, with a deficiency of 23 officers from a funded strength of 231 officers, the prevailing issue of retention requires urgent consideration and resolution to ensure that the IOMC can sustain the outstanding performance outlined in this report.’

Later in the report, Mr Foster went on to say that a retention payment in August last year helped, as did a 7% pay increase but, overall, police pay has gone down 20% in real terms since 2012. But when that retention payment ends, things could get worse.

He explained: ‘Information received from the Police Federation has indicated that once the retention period concludes in August 2024, a number of officers are likely to leave the IOMC due to opportunities to earn greater remuneration with other employers for less intensive or demanding roles.

‘Officers looking to transfer from UK forces are deterred due to the higher level of competency required due to ‘multi-hatting’ in IOMC for the same remuneration, as well as implications with the cash equivalent transfer value of their pension contributions.

‘In essence this means that transferees to the IOMC would be required to work longer or risk losing pension benefits upon retirement, which isn’t an attractive proposition for most.

Mr Foster says he has submitted a detailed business case to the Department of Home Affairs seeking more cash to deal with the issues.

Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Jane Poole-Wilson MHK, says the department has worked hard on addressing staffing level issues.

She said: ‘I hope that the hard work the Department has done in addressing the recruitment and retention issues demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensure Police officers are paid fairly for the unique and demanding job they do.

‘The starting salary for Police Constables is now much more competitive and this, alongside last year’s one-off retention payment and the 2023 and more recent pay award will, I hope, have a positive impact on recruiting and retaining our valued Police officers.

‘I look forward to further working with the Chief Constable towards our shared vision of a safe and secure Island for residents and visitors.’