Governor Jane Owen has expressed concern that even in the face of stiffer penalties, drink-driving remains an issue in Cayman, with 100 people arrested for driving under the influence in the last five months.
“It is still a problem,” Owen said, on the Cayman Compass talkshow, ‘The Resh Hour’ on Wednesday.
Though Cayman is seeing some impact from the stricter rules through compliance and more people being picked up for DUI, Owen said the issue is not enforcement but driver behaviour.
She said while many may think those arrested for DUIs are young people, the fact is half of the arrests are individuals between the ages of 35 and 50.
“It is kind of the responsible age group, which is interesting, isn’t it? Which is why I think it comes back again to the problem is not so much the rules and the enforcement… but it is again the personal responsibility to decide not to do it,” she said.
In 2022, there were 234 arrests in relation to DUI offences, which was an average of 19.5 arrests per month.
From January to May 2023, there were 100 DUI arrests, an average of 20 per month, so similar to last year.
Excessive speeding continues
Owen said she takes her responsibility for safety and security seriously and what she has seen playing out on local roads is a matter of concern.
She said a road safety/traffic proposal is currently under consideration and she wants to ensure that consultation with various stakeholders is done in the formulation of the plan.
Pointing to the issue of excessive speeding, she said people have to follow the rules.
Over the last three weeks, in the eastern districts, the governor noted that police issued 150 tickets as they try to clamp down on speeding.
Owen said while there is a component of public education needed, like advising people who are new to the island of the existing rules, ultimately all road users should adhere to safe-driving practices.
“The other side of the coin is people taking their own personal responsibility… That is to not speed, to decide to not drink and drive, especially on a Saturday or Sunday night, to avoid taking that phone call in the car,” she said, adding, “just pull over because you know that if you’re distracted that is a danger to other people… [and] to take responsibility to wear your seat belt. In all of these areas, I think there’s a lot more we can do and I am concerned about it.”
Owen said there is a mix of solutions being considered to address road issues, including the introduction of speed cameras.
However, she said if Cayman chooses to install the cameras, the funding has to be made available and there has to be a commitment for the whole project.
“It’s not just a case of going out and putting in place a lot of cameras. It’s also about who is going to monitor them… what is the IT system behind it, how do you do the tickets? As we discovered in the United Kingdom over many years it’s a major exercise but it may well be one that’s necessary in Cayman,” Owen said.
Drugs, use of firearms concerning
The governor also acknowledged the concerns in the community over the number of robberies being committed – 17 in the last four months, 12 of which involved firearms.
However, she assured that the police are working to keep Cayman safe, but said it takes community partnership to stamp out crime.
“It’s about communities. It’s about us all coming together and if we have got information on things that we’re really concerned about, it is about sharing that information so that we can all work together to keep each other safe,” she said.
Owen said she thinks the connection between police and the community is developing and while it does not work perfectly here, “it is an area that I feel we can continue to build up”.
“Community engagement, knowing what is going on and it’s a way of helping and supporting those in our communities who’ve got into difficulties or who might be involved in crime… Whereas if you just ignore it and push it under the rug, then probably those people are just going to continue on what is a really bad path, so that is an area that I expect and hope we will do more work on in the future,” she said.
Related Videos
