The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has launched its annual holiday road-safety Winter Guardian campaign, placing high-visibility patrols and traffic checkpoints on local streets.
The holiday safety operation began on Thursday, 1 Dec.
In the first five days of the campaign, police made three DUI arrests, including one following a motor vehicle accident, and issued 39 speeding tickets. They also handed out eight tickets for using a mobile phone while driving and two tickets for careless driving.
During those five days, 28 collisions were reported.
Police said they have added increased “community foot patrols, high visibility mobile patrols and intensified road enforcement operations, supported by road safety education and awareness campaigns”.
During last year’s one-month Winter Guardian campaign, 228 collisions were recorded – an average of seven a day – and 24 drunk drivers were caught by police. A total of 268 speeding tickets were also issued during the campaign.
High visibility
Community police officers will be conducting evening foot patrols across residential communities and commercial areas around Cayman throughout the holiday season, the RCIPS said. This follows a recent spate of robberies of businesses, including three that occurred within an hour-and-a-half on Friday night.
Officers from the Special Constabulary will be added to increase the presence of uniformed officers throughout the island, police said, and members of the 2022 RCIPS recruit class will be working alongside traffic police throughout the campaign period.
“The arrival of the festive season means more activity on our roads, in businesses, and everywhere people gather to socialize, and so our holiday safety campaign is about ensuring public safety, providing reassurance, and deterring crime,” Deputy Police Commissioner Kurt Walton said in a statement.
“We conduct these activities throughout the year, but during this time period, a more strategic approach is required. I would ask all members of the public to work with us, by simply following the law and behaving responsibly, as we continue to work to keep our communities safer.”
Checkpoints and patrols on local roads
The RCIPS noted that road safety is a major part of the holiday safety campaign, with the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit deploying high-visibility patrols and traffic checkpoints, with the aim to reduce traffic collisions and increase road safety by “cracking down on inconsiderate driving, distracted driving, and speeding”.
“Targeting drunk driving remains a main focus, particularly with the legal alcohol limit for drivers having recently been lowered to 0.07%,” police said in the statement.
The new drink-drive alcohol limit was introduced to Cayman in late October.
Head of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit, Inspector Andre Tahal, said, “We are reminding everyone to avoid driving if you plan to drink, as it is now even more likely that you will be over the legal limit if you do so.”
He added, “We know that social gatherings become more frequent during the festive season. However, drinking and driving is no less dangerous now than at any other time of the year. If you are drinking, make a plan that doesn’t involve driving.”
The RCIPS again this year is supporting the National Drug Council’s annual Arrive Alive 345 Campaign. This includes the Designated Driver Programme, an initiative among local restaurants to offer complimentary soft drinks to designated drivers.
The campaign also includes the provision of the Purple Ribbon bus service which offers free rides on buses on New Year’s Eve from 9pm to 4am across all districts on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The RCIPS is also encouraging drivers to take the Purple Ribbon Pledge to not drink and drive over the holiday season. Visit the National Drug Council for more information.
Police are also reminding the public to be especially cautious of financial crime, which tends to increase during the holiday season as people increase their online shopping and transactions using debit and credit cards.
“Always be sure to take appropriate precautions when engaging in these activities, and be sure to guard your financial information closely,” the RCIPS said.
Tips on financial crime prevention can be found on the RCIPS website and on its social media channels.
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