Eclipse overwhelms understaffed honoraries – but highlight for astronomers - Jersey Evening Post
by Megan Davies · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Eclipse overwhelms understaffed honoraries – but highlight for astronomers
by Megan Davies 14 August 202613 August 2026
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THE Honorary Police’s recruitment struggles contributed to traffic chaos after the solar eclipse on Wednesday night – as “half the Island” descended on St Ouen’s Bay.
A St Brelade centenier described the evening as “a nightmare”, with the Honorary Police forces of St Ouen, St Brelade and St Peter sharing the load.
“It wasn’t a pleasant experience,” he said, adding that people had been encouraged to travel west to view the eclipse – but there had been no Island-wide coordination ahead of the event.
“We were only really notified at the weekend that this was all occurring,” he said.
The centenier said volunteer officers had spent hours in uniform in very hot weather after already completing a full day of work in their day jobs.
“We are only a small number of officers,” he added, citing recruitment struggles within the Honorary Police. Last year, the JEP reported that 11 of the Island’s 12 parish forces were below their full complement, with 179 officers serving across Jersey compared with a full complement of 311.
At the time, St Ouen Chef de Police Robert Hall said fewer people had been volunteering since the pandemic, putting greater pressure on existing officers.
The three volunteer forces on Wednesday were dealing not only with traffic heading into St Ouen’s Bay but also with a road traffic collision near La Moye Garage.
The JEP understands that a driver turning off Route Orange towards La Pulente Hill, with the sun in her eyes, drove onto a bank at low speed.
The car flipped onto its side, leaving the driver and the front passenger trapped inside, while passengers in the back were able to escape.
There were no injuries beyond some scuffs, although the St Brelade Honorary Police described shocked bystanders at the scene.
Another collision also took place in St Ouen.
“It doesn’t take much to cause absolute chaos,” the centenier said.
Away from the roads, Islanders were able to attend organised eclipse-viewing events, including one hosted by the Jersey Astronomy Club at Le Braye.
Club volunteers spent hours giving members of the public the chance to view the eclipse through specialist glasses and telescopes, with chairman Tony Bellows reporting that he had passed his glasses to around 80 people.
Thanking volunteers and those who attended, the club said: “Thank you to everyone who came along yesterday evening, for your patience and understanding while waiting to view through the glasses and telescopes.
“We hope you enjoyed experiencing such a rare and beautiful astronomical event.”
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