Cayman is set to deploy one of its two police helicopters to the Turks and Caicos Islands to assist with overnight aerial surveillance after a significant spike in gang-related violence resulted in four deaths there this past weekend alone, Governor Martyn Roper said.
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Roper said the TCI government requested a helicopter from the RCIPS Air Operations Unit to provide aerial surveillance of the most badly affected areas.
“We are very lucky to have our Air Operations Unit, and the team there, ably led by Inspector Neil Mohammed, who were keen to help support law and order in TCI. I want to thank them for responding so quickly to this call for help and thank those who will be leaving their families to take on this very important role,” the governor said in the statement.
Roper said the TCI request for support was discussed with Premier Wayne Panton and Police Commissioner Derek Byrne and they all agreed that “Cayman should do everything possible to help another British Territory in need”.
Premier Wayne Panton said in the statement, “I am very pleased that Cayman can be of assistance to a fellow (Overseas Territory). We have a proud record of supporting our brothers and sisters in the region and we are pleased to be in a position to do so.”
He added that Cayman’s two state-of-the-art police helicopters are an outstanding asset locally and for the region.
“Our remaining helicopter is fully operational and will be able to respond to any requirements on our Islands,” he said.
The helicopter and its crew are “leaving Cayman shortly for this deployment”, the statement said.
The Governor’s Office added that the TCI government hopes that the chopper’s presence “will act as a deterrent to any further escalation in violence and, ultimately, save lives”.
Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Washington Misick, according to TCI media reports, has said “tough anti-crime measures will be enforced” in TCI.
Over the weekend there were two double murders on the island of Providenciales, one each on Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 Sept.
Though no travel advisory has been issued for TCI, the UK government, in its foreign travel advice on safety and security on the British Overseas Territory, cautioned that “the level of crime on Providenciales, the first point of arrival into the Turks and Caicos Islands for most visitors and the territory’s economic hub, is higher than on the other islands where incidences of serious crime are less frequent”.
This is even though the levels of crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands are relatively low, the advice said.
“Most crime tends to be as a result of opportunistic burglary and theft, although an increase in more serious robberies against individuals has been reported. Victims of robberies may suffer injuries if they resist,” according to the travel advice.
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