Royal Cayman Islands Police officers may not be the only law enforcement personnel carrying firearms soon.
Legal measures are already in place that would allow immigration officers to carry weapons and customs officers may soon be given that option as well, depending on what lawmakers decide.
‘All three agencies (police, customs and immigration) will have that capability available to them in the future,’ RCIPS Commissioner Stuart Kernohan told Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee last month.
The RCIPS uses specially-trained officers to make armed responses only in situations where there is an identified threat. Mr Kernohan has previously said there are always at least two qualified officers carrying firearms available to respond to calls at any time during the day.
In the case of combined enforcement efforts, such as the planned Marine base in Newlands, Chief Immigration Officer Franz Manderson said that ability should be extended to customs and immigration officers.
‘When immigration officers, customs officers and police department officers are going to be exposed to the same level of danger, the same risk, then they will be armed equally,’ Mr. Manderson said.
Although Cayman Islands law allows immigration officers to carry firearms providing approval is given in specific situations by the Governor and Cabinet, Mr. Manderson said none of his officers do so.
‘I’ve never heard anyone saying that immigration officers should be, as a matter of routine, carrying guns,’ he said. ‘That’s not what we’re talking about at all.’
Instead, he said the Immigration Department favours the police model where specially trained officers are assigned to respond in certain potentially volatile situations.
Last year, the Legislative Assembly passed a law that gave customs officers the ability to carry weapons such as handcuffs, batons, and defence spray. The document specifically noted the customs collector was not permitted to issue firearms to officers.
Customs Collector Carlon Powery did not respond to requests for comment on this story.
The issue of what law enforcement officers should carry firearms, and where they should carry them, has been a topic of some debate recently in Cayman.
Commissioner Kernohan was questioned about it last month during a public meeting in George Town. A woman wondered why two RCIPS officers were sitting in a restaurant with their guns out on the table.
Mr. Kernohan responded that the situation wasn’t ideal, but he said that armed officers were absolutely necessary in the Cayman Islands.
However, he said he is opposed to all officers, including those on routine patrol duties, being allowed to carry guns.
‘It is my opinion that currently (RCIPS) have comprehensive firearms coverage in the Cayman Islands,’ Mr. Kernohan told finance committee members last month.
Mr. Kernohan
Mr. Manderson
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