Ranks of The Honorary Police
A Centenier is a senior member of the Honorary Police of Jersey. Centeniers are elected for a mandate of 3 years at a public election within the Parish. In addition to general policing matters, the Centenier remains the only officer entitled to charge and bail offenders. The Centenier presides at Parish Hall Enquiries and acts as Prosecuting Officer before the Magistrate's Court. The Constable of the Parish appoints one of the Centeniers as Chef de Police of the Parish. Under Jersey law, anyone charged at the States of Jersey Police Headquarters must be charged by a Centenier of the Honorary Police, and he too will present the charges against an individual if the case is taken to the Magistrate.
A Vingtenier is a member of the Honorary Police elected by a Parish Assembly of electors and ratepayers for a term of three years for a particular vingtaine (or, in St. Ouen, a cueillette) in that Parish. Vingteniers, who occupy a rank below that of Centenier in the Honorary Police, carry out general community policing in the parish, and fulfill administrative roles within their vingtaine in respect of tasks such as the Visite du Branchage. The office of Vingtenier (which is believed to refer to a responsibility of looking after 20 (French: vingt) households) may date back to 1331, although the first recorded reference to the title of vingtenier dates to 1462.
The political system of Sark, which was modelled after Jersey's in 1579, also includes a Vingtenier. In Sark the sole Vingtenier is elected by Chief Pleas as junior to the Constable.
Constable's Officers are the lowest rank of the elected police officers, collectively known as the Honorary Police who represent a Vingtaine in a Parish (or to a Cueillette in St Ouen) of Jersey. Constables Officers do not have to live within that Vingtaine (or Cueillette) but must live within the parish at the time of their election. If they move in the interim they are allowed to complete their term of office. They assist both the Centeniers and Vingteniers of the Parish with general policing matters.
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