The Isle of Man Constabulary has become the first police force in the British Isles to secure the prestigious Investors in People Champion status.

The accreditation puts the Constabulary in the top 1% of the Investors in People (IIP) worldwide community.

The IIP standard is an internationally recognised business tool aimed at enhancing an organisation’s performance through its people. It has proven benefits in terms of improving productivity and customer satisfaction, as well as generating cost savings and efficiencies.

The independent IIP assessment judged the Manx force against a wide range of criteria including strategic leadership, communication, training, personal development and recognition.

Achieving Champion accreditation reflects the Constabulary’s status as a quality organisation that delivers high levels of performance through investment in its officers, support staff and volunteers.

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK said: ‘We are in the results business and having a professional, dedicated and focused police force is essential to our efforts to keep the Island safe. The Isle of Man Constabulary continues to lead the way in terms of organisational development and is a shining example to other areas of the public sector.’

He added: ‘The Constabulary has undergone significant modernisation over the past 18 months against a backdrop of increasing pressure on its finances and huge demand on its resources as a result of some major investigations. The organisation continues to respond positively to those challenges by equipping its people with the right knowledge, skills and motivation to work effectively. The bottom line is that the Island’s crime rate remains low and the detection rate is well above the average recorded in England and Wales.’

IIP Champions are regarded as ‘pioneers in people management practices and role models in strategic leadership’. As such, the Isle of Man Constabulary will be encouraged to share its experiences, skills and insights with other Island businesses and organisations.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts said: ‘I am determined that the Constabulary has to keep improving the way that it goes about its business. It has to do considerably more with a lot less and the only way to meet the challenges that it faces is to become ever more efficient and effective. This can be done by a constant focus on improving the quality of the people who serve the public. We have achieved a lot, but there is much more to do.’

He added: ‘The Constabulary does not chase accreditation or accolades of any kind so as to boast about its achievements. The entire purpose of opening ourselves up to external scrutiny is to seek to validate the work we are doing and to identify areas where we can improve. Investors in People offers just this kind of scrutiny.

‘I am proud of the Constabulary and its people. The awarding of Investors in People Champion status is a very significant thing and it will help drive further improvement in how we go about our work.’