Car crashes involving police drivers could have cost the public purse, depending on final insurance pay-outs, up to $316,000 over the past two-and-a-half years, the Compass has learned.
Figures released under a Freedom of Information request to the Cayman police service show that tens of thousands of dollars in damage have been racked up since 2024, with police employees responsible for the crashes in just over one-third of the cases.
There were 17 incidents involving damage to vehicles, with police employees found to be at fault in nine of them, this year’s figures until 26 June showed.
There were 36 cases of damage to police vehicles in 2025, with police drivers held to be responsible in 11 of the crashes.
Police vehicles were in 22 crashes in 2024, with seven of them blamed on police employee error.
The police service said that the cost of damage so far this year ranged from $60,000 to $81,000.
The range for 2025 ran from $100,000 to $147,000 and the 2024 total was from $62,000 to $88,000.
The police FOI office explained a range was provided as some of the repair costs have to be closed.
The office said, “The maximum range for each year provided is based on the insurance asking for a 15% to 20% deductible payment for each vehicle or not asking for a deductible payment at all.
“The volume of repairs are large and it does take some time to settle each repair claim.”
The police media office was asked questions about the figures three weeks ago but have yet to respond.
It’s not known if any sanctions or criminal proceedings were taken against employees who were involved in accidents.
Ombudsman gets involved
The news came after it was announced that two crashes in the space of two weeks in May had sparked the concern of the Ombudsman, Sharon Roulstone.
The Ombudsman’s office has already launched an inquiry into a crash between a police vehicle and a member of the public on Bodden Town Road, near Monument Road.
The accident happened as a police car was responding to an emergency call using its lights and siren.
The other vehicle pulled out and turned right on the main road and the police car was in a collision with the right side of it.
The drivers of both vehicles were taken to the Anthony S. Eden Hospital for treatment of “non-life-threatening injuries” and later released.
Both vehicles suffered extensive damage in the crash, which happened at about 9.30pm on Saturday, May 3.
The Office of the Ombudsman has appealed for witnesses, particularly those who might have video footage of the incident or of other vehicles in the area at the time, to contact the office.
The Ombudsman’s office explained an “own motion investigation” had been ordered into the actions of the police officers involved due to public interest.
The second accident happened at the junction of Shedden Road and North Sound Road in George Town as a police car using lights and sirens responded to an incident.
A passenger in the civilian vehicle involved in the accident suffered a head injury and was treated at the scene by a paramedic but declined further medical attention.
The police car suffered damage to the rear right side, and the civilian car sustained damage to its front.
A police spokesman said both drivers were breath-tested and were found to be clear.
The crash happened about midnight on Sunday, 17 May and the Ombudsman was notified of the incident.
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