Police are at full strength

The States of Jersey Police has a full complement of 242 officers - for the first time in three years.

But protecting the island's ports against terrorist attacks, tackling financial crime and investigating fraud cases are reducing the number of officers on the beat, according to Senator Wendy Kinnard, president of the home affairs committee.

She is to ask the States for more money to boost the force.

She said since the threat of terrorist action became more likely with the onset of war in Iraq, Jersey police officers had been taken off their normal duties and sent to patrol the airport.

Senator Kinnard also said the financial crimes unit was also very hard pressed, making sure island institutions are not breaking any of the sanctions in place against Iraq and other countries.

She said all of this was being staffed from the force's normal, peace-time complement of officers, so they sometimes did not have time to do their regular work.

She is to ask policy and resources this week for help, perhaps to take away some of the financial monitoring duties from the force.