About St Helena Police
St Helena Police is a small force consisting of 33 constables and 70 staff in total. St Helenian law is based on UK legislation, but the Legislative Council has law-making powers so UK law isn’t automatically adopted.
It has one of the world’s smallest main police stations and prisons in the world. It operates in a unique geographical and political environment.
St Helena is a remote British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It lies roughly 1,210 miles west of Angola and 2,500 from Rio de Janeiro.
It has a land area of 47 square miles. This covers the main island of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and surrounding, uninhabited islands. It has a rugged and volcanic terrain.
The police force serves a population of approximately 4,500. 75% of the population live in the capital of Jamestown and other towns and suburbs. Most of the rest of the population live in rural districts.
HMICFRS’s role in inspecting this force
HMICFRS independently inspects St Helena Police upon invitation.
We agree the Terms of reference with His Excellency, the Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha before carrying out fieldwork.
We ask the questions that we believe the public wish to have answered, and publish our findings, conclusions and recommendations. We use our expertise to interpret the evidence and make recommendations for improvement.
