Cayman Islands Coast Guard First Commandant Robert Scotland and Deputy Commandant Leo Anglin received their commissions and letters of appointment this week, formalising the leadership of the country’s newest law enforcement agency.
Governor Martyn Roper formally issued the commissions at the Government Administration Building on Wednesday to Commander Scotland and Lieutenant Commander Anglin, appointing them to the two top Coast Guard positions.
They previously held those posts after being appointed to lead the agency back in 2018 when it was first established under the Alden McLaughlin-led National Unity government.
Scotland, a former police inspector, and Anglin, both previously worked under the RCIPS Joint Marine Unit, which was absorbed to form the Coast Guard.
Lawmakers passed the Coast Guard Bill last year, giving the agency a legal framework to continue its work and stand alone in its own right.
Premier Wayne Panton, in tabling the bill, said the Coast Guard personnel have “taken their rightful place among the other uniformed branches”.
However, the agency will continue to fall under the auspices of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s Joint Marine Unit, and its members will still be classified as special constables.
The first cohort of Guard Guard recruits – 10 men and six women – graduated last March.
Present during Wednesday’s ceremony were Premier Panton, Deputy Premier Chris Saunders, Acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField-Nixon and Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne.
Anglin’s 7-year-old son, Tyler, was on hand as a special guest at the ceremony to share in the special moment.
“Both Lieutenant Commander Anglin and I are proud and humbled by the trust and confidence reposed in us, and pledge to continue doing our best to build the Coast Guard into an entity that the people of the Cayman Islands will always be proud of,” Scotland said in a statement announcing the commissioning.
Prior to signing the documents that formalised their commissions and appointments, the two officers took their oaths of office before the governor and other attendees.
The governor congratulated them and noted the historical significance of the occasion.
The issuing of the commissions and letters of appointment was done in accordance with Section 55 of the Cayman Islands (Constitution) Order 2009 and Section 14 (2)(a) of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard Act 2021.
With his appointment, Scotland is now charged with the command, superintendence, and direction of the Coast Guard as per Section 8 of the Coast Guard Act (2021), and for ensuring that the maritime safety and security of the nation are preserved.
“As Deputy Commandant, Anglin will assist Scotland in ensuring that the strategic and operational objectives of the Coast Guard are delivered in a timely and professional manner,” the statement added.
Duties of the Coast Guard include patrolling the seas; carrying out search-and-rescue operations; rendering assistance to people or vessels in distress; inspecting vessels to ensure and enforce compliance with local and international safety laws, regulations, rules and standards; and assisting local law enforcement agencies in the execution of their duties in the maritime environment.
Coast Guard officers have the power to arrest people and to stop, board, search and seize vessels if they suspect an offence has been committed, and are authorised, in certain circumstances, to carry and use firearms.
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