His Excellency the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst KCVO, CBE, and the Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, have established a Steering Group to consider reforms to the governance of the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP).

The Steering Group will provide top level strategic oversight and will serve as a forum to examine the current arrangements for governance and accountability. It will evaluate alternative models of police governance against the current system.

Governance of law enforcement and the RGP are defined in the Police Act 2006 which outlines the respective responsibilities of H.E. the Governor, the Gibraltar Police Authority (GPA), and the Government of Gibraltar.

The GPA holds primary responsibility for ensuring the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force within available financial resources, while upholding high standards of integrity, probity, and independence. It is also tasked with publishing an Annual Policing Plan and Annual Report, and managing complaints. H.E. the Governor retains ultimate oversight and has the power to hold the GPA to account. Additionally, H.E. the Governor is responsible for the policing aspects of national security, including internal security. The Government of Gibraltar is primarily responsible for meeting the budgetary requirements of the RGP.

The Police Authority model reflects the UK framework in place when the Police Act was enacted. However, most police forces in England and Wales have since moved away from this model.

The Steering Group’s mandate is to evaluate whether the current governance model should be retained, enhanced, or replaced, based on a thorough analysis of its strengths and weaknesses and those of competing models.  The Steering Group will consider governance structures from a range of other jurisdictions to help determine the most suitable arrangement for Gibraltar.

The Steering Group will be chaired jointly by H.E. the Governor and the Chief Minister. Its membership will include the Minister for Justice, the Attorney General, the Chief Secretary, the Chair of the GPA, and the Commissioner of the RGP. In addition, former Minister for Justice Samantha Sacramento has been appointed to chair a Working Group that will report to the Steering Group.

As part of its remit, the Working Group will undertake research and engage with both members of the public and relevant professional bodies through a structured consultation. 

His Excellency the Governor said:  'It has been nearly twenty years since the current model of police governance in Gibraltar was introduced. It has served Gibraltar well but demands on policing in our small community have grown more complex. For over a year, I have been working with key stakeholders to consider how best to align accountability, responsibility, and resourcing. The creation of the Steering Group, which I co-chaired with the Chief Minister, brings together all those with a stake in police governance. We look forward to working closely with the Gibraltar Police Authority, the Royal Gibraltar Police, and His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar to review the current arrangements and explore how they might be reformed and improved.”

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said: “It is right that we consider the present arrangements for law enforcement and RGP oversight and accountability and, if appropriate, make the necessary changes to reflect changing times so as to maintain structures current and effective.  Work on this topic has been ongoing for some time and the setting up of a formal Steering Committee will regenerate the work in earnest and now catalyse a more in-depth and holistic approach. This is of particular relevance now with the changes presented by the Treaty and the impact that it will have on law enforcement.”

Chair of the Police Authority, Peter Montegriffo KC, noted that: “Whilst the Authority is made up of entirely voluntary members with limited administrative support, it is very conscious of its significant statutory duties. It is also very mindful of how times and demands have evolved since it was established in 2006. We have already undertaken considerable research into the governance arrangements in other jurisdictions.  The work of the Steering Committee will consider all options, aiming to find the most suitable model that achieves improved and more effective overarching law enforcement and Royal Gibraltar Police governance.  We are now formally embarking on this substantive and very important exercise.”