You're right about the Chief Inspector. When he was on Jersey, he had to call himself Bergerac, which is of course French for Barabus.
His explanation for his transfer is that shortly after the 1980s documentary series showing his detective skills came to an end, the crime rate on the island mysteriously plummeted, having previously been as high as one major crime per week for 13 weeks and the occasional Christmas special.
However, there is a rumour that the real reason is that during the 90s he became so chubby that Jersey was in danger of sinking under the weight, so he was transferred to a mainland sturdy enough to support both him and John Prescott.