Burglary a growing menace in Cayman

Astley McLaughlin surveyed the mess. What was left of his 50-inch plasma television was lying on the outside deck, cupboard doors had been pulled off their hinges, the contents of his trash can had been emptied on to the floor and the rest of his belongings were packed into three bin-liners lined up outside. 

He counted himself lucky. He’d arrived home just in time to disturb the burglar in the act – watching as he fled the scene through a vacant lot to a waiting vehicle, dropping the television in the process, leaving the bags and the mess behind. 

His experience was far from unique. Scenes like this are a nightly occurrence in Cayman. In the past 10 days alone, customs officers have intercepted and confiscated six shipping containers loaded with property believed to have been stolen in break-ins around the island. 

The raids are part of Operation Spearfish – a joint investigation between police and customs – targeting the international trade in stolen goods. It is one aspect of a concerted effort by authorities to target a growing burglary menace. 

There were 731 burglaries in Cayman last year – a 45 percent increase on 2012.  

A dedicated unit of investigators focusing on burglary became fully operational at the start of 2014. Detective Inspector Kathy Marshall, who leads the unit, believes they are making inroads, with statistics for the early part of the year expected to show a small drop in the burglary rate, bucking the long-term upward trend. 

The bulk of the burglaries are believed to be the work of opportunist crooks – many of them prolific, repeat offenders – looking to make a quick buck. 

But some recent raids – particularly a spate of 11 break-ins in George Town in 24 hours – suggest a greater level of organization. And the results of Operation Spearfish point to a booming export market for the stolen property. 

Customs officers said the containers confiscated at various locations around the island were loaded with tools, electronics, televisions and bicycles.  

Many of the goods been reported stolen, and officers are currently going through the painstaking process of checking every item against an inventory of property taken in recent burglaries. 

“These were 40-foot containers and they were packed from wall to wall,” said Jeff Jackson, assistant collector with the Freight Security Initiative. 

He said the containers were typically kept on vacant lots and were reportedly loaded over the course of several nights before being shipped off island for sale.  

The possibility of introducing a pre-loading area for shipping containers is under consideration to give customs officers more direct oversight and help prevent stolen goods and other contraband from being smuggled off island. 

Detective Inspector Marshall said police have good relationships with local pawnbrokers, who have greatly reduced the market for trading stolen goods on island.  

Her team is focusing on targeting repeat offenders and painstakingly investigating every burglary – even re-investigating crimes from as far back as 2010 and bringing suspects to court. 

“We want to send a message to people that we don’t give up on these investigations. We are definitely making inroads. I think we will see a reduction in the burglary rate this year and that can be attributed to the work of the burglary team. 

“We’ve arrested a lot of people and put a lot of offenders before the court.” 

Not all burglaries are high value – on one occasion recently, just a handful of coins was stolen. But Detective Inspector Marshall said it is one of the most frightening crimes for members of the public and one which the unit takes seriously, regardless of the financial value of the property taken. 

For Mr. McLaughlin, it’s the inconvenience and the intrusion that rankled more than the loss of property. He’s been burgled on two previous occasions and many of his neighbors have been targeted also. 

Inspector Marshall added, “Having your property broken into and your personal space invaded as about as bad as it gets. We’re committed to thoroughly investigating every burglary, which is why this dedicated unit was set up.” 

Realistically, she said, it is difficult to solve every crime, and she is urging the public to do what they can to help. 

“Make sure you do the obvious things – lock doors and windows,” she said. “If you have security cameras or an alarm system, make sure it is switched on. If you see anyone in your neighborhood acting suspiciously, let us know.”