The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has said that it has been forced to pull officers from the eastern districts and elsewhere to shore up coverage in George Town.
A police spokesman said “critical” staff shortages already highlighted by Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton meant that officers had to be seconded from other districts to deal with crime in the George Town district.
“With the vast majority of incidents and calls for service originating in the George Town district, this can mean that resources are sometimes shifted from other districts to manage matters in George Town as needed,” said the spokesman.
But he insisted that a “minimum” level of coverage was maintained in the other three police districts – eastern, West Bay and Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
The spokesman said, “Regardless, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service continuously monitors and deploys staff and resources across the various units and districts in order to ensure proper coverage while addressing priority issues and community concerns.”
He was speaking after Dwayne “John John” Seymour, the Opposition MP for Bodden Town East, appealed for the practice of pulling officers away from the eastern districts to shore up police presence in George Town to stop in the wake of a break-in at Ocean’s Bait and Tackle Shop in the Breakers area of the constituency.
Seymour said, “As I’ve said, I’m hoping this is minimised, especially for the eastern districts.
“I totally understand the issue the commissioner has on hand and I wholeheartedly support his leadership.
“I’m asking the powers that be to ensure the commissioner gets what’s needed to ensure proper coverage throughout the island.”
The police spokesman added that the police had launched a recruitment drive this year with “recruitment for local and experienced officers underway”.
The problem came to light after Olson Levy, the owner of the bait and tackle store decided to call it quits and shut up shop after the third break-in at the store in just seven months.
Mr Levy, 72, said the raids had cost him thousands of dollars in damage and stolen stock and cash.
Last week’s break-in netted thieves hundreds of dollars in cash, two flat screen TVs, a boom box, tackle boxes and tackle, including four cases full of tackle just in from Miami, as well as knives and 200 pounds of fresh fish.
Seymour at the time highlighted that officers were often reassigned from the eastern districts to bolster numbers in the George Town area.
More police funding
Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton on Sept. 9 welcomed an increase of $1.2 million in the service’s budget.
About $900,000 of the new cash will go to crime prevention and protection services.
Crime investigation and criminal justice services, alongside policy advice, was allocated an extra $190,000 and another $140,000 was earmarked for administrative and support services.
Walton told Compass TV that the cash, announced after an August Cabinet meeting, would be used to help tackle personnel shortages and help towards the move of the George Town police station to new premises.
“This funding is being allocated to address critical essential staffing shortages across the service, through 2025, as well as assisting with the transition of the George Town Police Station to the Flow building in George Town, which is in the early stages,” he said.
“Being able to address these shortages, particularly in some of our specialist units, will further strengthen our ability to investigate and prosecute crime of all types, as part of our mission to keep Cayman safe.”
Related Videos
