Guernsey Police defends high-octane video aimed at recruiting officers for low-crime island

The video begins with two people having a conversation about what their week was like. The man says: “You know, the usual – photocopying, emailing, paperwork.”

When he asks the woman in the video, she says: “You know, the usual too,” and the footage then cuts to a massive explosion on a beach, a high-speed car chase brought to an end by a stinger, an armed raid on an office block and a range of other exciting activities, all against a background of heavy rock music.

But the video has been widely mocked on social media for being unrepresentative of life on the island, which last year recorded no murders, one robbery and less than 2,300 reported crimes. The force currently has 151 sworn officers and two police stations.

Many compared the video to the comedy film Hot Fuzz, while one Twitter user wrote: “Does this reflect day-to-day policing in Guernsey? I think not. Otherwise your annual report and Justice Survey are way off the mark.”

In a statement to The Times, the force said: ‘It is common practice in recruitment videos to demonstrate elements of an organisation people are most interested in, and when the video can only be 75 seconds long a choice has to be made about what to leave out.

‘There is no telling when one of our specialist teams will need to be deployed but rest assured, they are ready 24 hours a day to keep our community safe and secure.

‘This short promotional video is a condensed version of local policing, highlighting the various options available to those who join – from walking the beat, firearms, response driving and bomb disposal.’

The island’s head of Home Affairs, Deputy Mary Lowe, also backed the campaign saying: “This excellent video demonstrates just a fraction of the opportunities within the force giving a varied and exciting career.”