The future of community policing remains uncertain, after the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reassigned beat officers to various internal departments to curb escalating gun crime.
Details of the reassignment emerged during a community meeting in Windsor Park on Thursday, 18 July.
“Don’t for one second think that the tensions between the rivalling gangs aren’t still simmering,” warned Inspector Ian Yearwood as he addressed a crowd of approximately 30 people.
The tensions which Yearwood referred to, came to a head on 25 Feb., at a Men’s Premier League football match at the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay, when an unknown gunman indiscriminately opened fire on a group of 25 people, wounding seven.
Though no one died during the shooting, the incident was met with national condemnation by Cayman’s political and civic leaders, who described the incident as a watershed moment.
“The senior leadership team had to take a serious look at our resources and we decided that we had to reassign our officers, so we could meet the violence head on and put a stop to it,” said Inspector Rojay Williams who also addressed the concerns of the residents.
According to Williams, he has been faced with constant internal requests to permanently reassign the community officers to new departments to help with staffing and skills gaps within the service.
“I have resisted all such suggestions, and this has been the position of the Commissioner [Kurt] Walton,” said Williams.
When Walton assumed the role of commissioner in September 2023, he embarked on an islandwide series of community meetings to speak with residents.
During those conversations, Walton stated that he had seven main priorities which would shape his policing strategy; among them was community policing, which he described as crucial to maintaining trust between officers and residents.
However, given the recent reassignment which has lasted for the better part of five months, it is unclear if or when beat officers will be returned to their communities.
“There is no doubt that community policing is very important and helps to foster trust between officers and the community, and, most times, it provides the vital branch of communication between officers and the youth within various communities,” said Chief Detective Inspector Peter Lansdown.
He added, “However, when we are faced with an issue such as a mass shooting, a murder and a rise in gun crimes, it means that having officers supporting detectives and helping to solve these crimes takes priority over having those officers playing basketball within their communities.”
Lansdown was responding to a concern from activist and outspoken resident Romellia Welcome, who voiced her concerns about the removal of the Windsor Park beat officer.
Cayman Compass reached out to the RCIPS seeking clarity on which departments and/or units the officers had been reassigned to, in addition to when they would be returned to their beats. No comment was received by press deadline.
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