Following a fatal shooting, Governor Jane Owen has reaffirmed that fighting crime remains a priority, saying there will be “a targeted response to specific incidents, especially those involving violence and firearms”.
Owen’s comments comes hours after the death of an East End man whose identity has yet to be released.
Though the governor, delivering her first Throne Speech in Parliament since taking office, did not specifically speak to the incident, she reaffirmed the priorities that Police Commissioner Kurt Walton and herself agreed to in the fight against crime.
“We will continue to make Cayman a hostile environment for criminal activity – achieving this through ‘feet on the ground’ in community policing, as well as a targeted response to specific incidents, especially those involving violence and firearms. We will continue to build our capability in investigation and forensics, as well as CCTV coverage and intelligence gathering,” she said.
She commended Walton on his “open, collaborative and strategic approach”.
Owen said they both share a strong belief that effective policing can only be achieved “if it includes strategies for prevention, rehabilitation and safeguarding of vulnerable groups and individuals”.
She said the National Security Council will continue to “develop cross-cutting strategies, for example to combat the flow of drugs”, by reaching out across government and working with education, health, family services and Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman teams “to pre-empt criminal activity and to provide a choice for people who might be standing at a crossroad in their lives”.
Owen, pointing to the continued challenge of traffic collisions, said she was committed to a renewed focus on road safety and the strict enforcement of penalties for those who put others in danger.
“As we enter the party season, I would remind everyone that we can save lives and avoid a traumatic Christmas for many families if we all select a designated driver, and never get behind the steering wheel under the influence of drink or drugs or with a mobile phone in our hand,” she said.
Her statement comes as the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was set to launch its annual holiday safety campaign, ‘Winter Guardian’ later on Friday.
Owen, speaking to the continuing UK relationship with Overseas Territories including the Cayman Islands, said over the coming months, Britain “proposes to agree a new bilateral ‘compact’ with each overseas territory that would like to do so, setting out the responsibilities and obligations we share, and highlighting our priorities for the future”.
“Our premier has already expressed her wish for early discussions on our compact, and I look forward to working with the government and Parliament, as we consult widely during the process, to ensure that our bilateral agreement sets the right direction for a strong future relationship,” the governor said.
She said coming out of the recently concluded Joint Ministerial Council in London in November, hosted by Foreign Office Minister David Rutley, the OTs signed a declaration reinforcing commitment “to a modern and transparent partnership, and our collective ambition to deliver a prosperous and secure future for all our people”.
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