Chief of Police, Robin Smith, has acknowledged the hard work and professionalism of all officers and staff within the States of Jersey Police as they respond to the unprecedented demands associated with leading two significant investigations and continuing to keep Islander’s safe.
Chief of Police, Robin Smith, said: “The work colleagues have undertaken as part of both Operation Nectar and Operation Spire is truly commendable. Investigations of this scale require a large amount of resource and resilience.
“The scale of the investigations is not usual for Jersey. In the 10 weeks since the two tragedies our teams have developed effective command structures, secured adequate investigative capacity, stood up major incident rooms, and worked through more than 1,000 lines of enquiry across both investigations.
“Both investigations have an international element that reach far beyond Jersey, and our Family Liaison Officers have been showing great compassion in supporting the bereaved families in Jersey, the Philippines and Canada.
“Thanks to this ongoing work over the last few weeks, both Senior Investigating Officers now have a much clearer understanding of what has happened, but they don’t yet have a complete picture. It is extremely important that teams continue to go through facts and evidence carefully and methodically to ensure that any findings can withstand scrutiny and provide victims, families, friends and the wider community with the answers they deserve.
“The investigations are both complex and they will be ongoing for many more months. This comes at a time when the force is already responding to our usual policing demand. Over the last 10 days, the force has also been committed to a large-scale missing person enquiry.
“The breadth and level of our work demonstrates the commitment and professionalism of the entire States of Jersey Police force. I would like to thank colleagues across the force for coming together during these challenging times to ensure public safety and that service to Islanders remains a priority.
“It’s also important to acknowledge the hard work of Government of Jersey, Andium Homes, emergency service colleagues, and many others, who have come together in the true spirit of teamwork and collaboration for the benefit of Islanders.
“At the forefront of our minds is Mr Michieli’s family and the fact that he has not yet been found. Raising the vessel on humanitarian grounds will hopefully provide some comfort to his family
during what has been deeply traumatic period and will allow investigators access to the best available evidence.
“As we move forward, the Health and Safety Inspectorate and States of Jersey Police will provide as many updates as is possible and appropriate throughout both investigations. The continued support from the community towards those affected by this incident has been heart-warming and officers, who will be working on these investigations for many months, have really appreciated it.”
