Topic: Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
Firearm recovered from crashed truck following police pursuit
Two men, ages 47 and 24, were taken into custody after 2 a.m. Saturday when an attempted escape from the police resulted in a vehicular collision near A.L. Thompson’s in George Town.
Purse snatchers strike in vicinity of Centennial Park
Police responded to a report of a purse theft on Fort Street just after 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 19.
Police: Crooks stealing number plates
The theft of vehicle license plates is becoming a more frequently identified concern of Cayman Islands law enforcement officers, who suspect the plates are being attached to unregistered cars which are then used in crimes. “It’s difficult to prove a negative,” police spokeswoman Jacqueline Carter said.
Wrecked car removal ‘not police responsibility’
A Kia sedan that crashed through a fence on Shamrock Road on Jan. 8 lay on its side for more than three days before it was removed. Just down the road, an SUV with its front end missing from a crash before Christmas, sat by the roadside for weeks until it was picked up on Jan. 11.
Police officers attacked in ‘troubling incidents’
Three incidents in which police officers were attacked or suffered injury while making an arrest were reported since Saturday, prompting a public warning from RCIPS senior commanders. The assaults follow a December attack on the head of the RCIPS traffic unit at a roadblock
Police: Woman attacked at West Bay apartment complex
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is investigating reports of a woman being attacked and choked in West Bay’s Shores neighborhood. The woman was on the grounds of a complex Tuesday morning when an unidentified person “came up behind her and began to choke her.”
Just six local recruits picked for cadet class
Just six local recruits have joined the latest Royal Cayman Islands Police Service cadet class, with an expected graduation date in May.
Typically, RCIPS recruit...
Unprepared boaters rescued by police
A private watercraft rescued three men who were stranded offshore early Sunday in a small boat without life jackets. According to police, the initial report of a 14-foot boat in distress between one and two miles off East End was received around 1:45 a.m.
Officers still face inquiry over ‘incompetent’ child abuse investigation
Three police officers are still facing an internal disciplinary inquiry over an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by an 11-year-old girl. The inquiry has been inexplicably sidelined for 18 months. The RCIPS announced last week that a U.K. team has been recruited to review and reform the Family Support Unit.
Gov’t warned about fire truck rollovers after 2005 incident
The Cayman Islands Fire Service was warned in October 2005 about the potential for its fire engines to tip over at relatively low turning speeds, the Cayman Compass can reveal. The warning came after a police investigation of a rollover accident involving a T-2500 model fire engine in January 2005.
Woman arrested at scene of fatal police shooting
A George Town woman was arrested early Friday at the scene where armed Jamaican suspect Norval Barrett was shot and killed by police, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service confirmed Monday.
Ex-con killed by police is first fatal officer-suspect shooting in decades
An illegal immigrant convicted of robbery in the Cayman Islands in early 2011 was shot dead by police officers Friday morning after he had returned to the islands and was being sought on an arrest warrant. The incident is believed to be the first shooting of a criminal suspect by police since at least the 1980s.
EDITORIAL – Cayman’s first fatal police shooting since …
Make no mistake: Police officers carry guns to protect themselves and the community when the use of “deadly force” is warranted. Let us hope that fatal shootings by police continue to be generational events in Cayman, or rarer – and that if and when they do occur, that we can continue to trust our officers’ were justified.
Holiday traffic crackdown nets 27 DUIs, hundreds of citations
A month-long traffic crackdown during the holiday period ended with more than two dozen arrests for drunken driving and hundreds of other citations for traffic offenses. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reported Thursday that 27 DUI arrests were made between early December 2016 through Jan. 2, 2017.
One injured in three-car crash in George Town
Three vehicles were involved in a collision Thursday afternoon in George Town that sent one woman to the hospital. As of press time, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was still investigating the crash, which happened around 2 p.m. near the junction of Smith and Crewe roads.
UK team to reform Cayman’s child abuse unit
Three U.K. child abuse investigators have been recruited to review and reform the police’s Family Support Unit after a judge condemned its investigation into alleged sexual assault on a child as “grossly incompetent.” The U.K. officers will help clear a backlog of cases identified in an internal review.
Car flips on Esterley Tibbetts, driver arrested
A car driven by an unqualified driver ended up on its roof in the central median of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway on Tuesday afternoon after the driver lost control and knocked down a light pole. Police said the driver was later arrested for leaving the scene of the accident and other driving offenses.
EDITORIAL – Police checkpoints: Stop in the name of the law, please
At the beginning of 2017, there is gridlock in Cayman, not just on many of our crowded roads (and not because of police checkpoints), but within our courts. Speed may not be desirable on our highways, but it is essential in our justice system.
Armed men sought in attempted robbery
Two armed men tried to rob a money transfer vehicle Saturday night outside Cayman National Bank on Elgin Avenue, according to police. Shortly after 7:30 p.m. armed officers responded to the bank following the failed robbery attempt.
Man mugged in broad daylight at Grand Harbour
A masked robber snatched a bag from a man in broad daylight at Grand Harbour on Wednesday morning, police said. The bag contained cash and checks from a nearby business, according to a statement released by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Thursday.
UPDATED: Two charged with possessing cocaine with intent to supply
A man and a woman were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing cocaine and ganja with intent to supply. Officers stopped a vehicle on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, near the Strand. When police searched the car, they found a substance suspected to be cocaine.
Police seize six bikes during holiday crackdown
Four dirt bikes and two motorbikes were seized by police during traffic operations on Tuesday around Grand Cayman, and two motorcyclists who ran from a roadblock in West Bay were arrested.
NEW: Teenager in critical condition after early morning shooting
An 18-year-old man is in critical but stable condition after being shot at 4 a.m. Monday outside Fete Nightclub, according to police.
Volunteers boost holiday traffic patrols
More than a dozen Cayman Islands residents will give up their time this holiday season to help keep the rest of us safe on local roads. Special constables with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, who are unpaid, volunteer officers, are joining with the regular police traffic unit to staff roadblocks and traffic checkpoints.
No case to answer for two men charged with firearm possession
Two men charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm last year were found not guilty on Wednesday after Justice Charles Quin determined that there was no case for them to answer. The judge listed four police-related issues which he described as “regrettable” in his decision to enter not guilty verdicts.
Police jump-start traffic unit
Anemic enforcement of traffic offenses like speeding, cellphone driving and drunken driving in the Cayman Islands in recent years is about to be put in reverse, according to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service chief of operations.
Officer guilty of assaulting man in custody
Police officer Michael Peart was found guilty after trial of assault causing actual bodily harm to a man in custody, and guilty of common assault against the same person. Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez announced her verdicts on Monday morning after hearing evidence for two days in November.
Police commissioner seeks community focus
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will renew its focus on community policing under new Commissioner David Byrne, who said Wednesday that he intends to seek increased resources from government to put local officers back into neighborhoods.
Police Commissioner: Motorbikes problem ‘disturbing, dangerous’
New Police Commissioner Derek Byrne identified stopping the reckless and dangerous use of off-street racing motorbikes as one of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s top priorities.
Officers’ second use of taser was excessive, court finds
Police officers Austin Etienne and Cardiff Robinson were found guilty of common assault on Tuesday, following a trial in which they said they had used their tasers on a suspect because they feared for their safety and the safety of fellow officers.
Man shot dead on George Town street
A Caymanian man was gunned down in broad daylight Monday morning on a street corner in George Town, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service confirmed. It was the second homicide in the Cayman Islands this year.
Senior immigration officer charged with assisting illegal migrant
A Cayman Islands assistant chief immigration officer was charged Friday with offenses under the local Immigration Law and the Misuse of Drugs Law in relation to a police raid at her home in August.
Stranded swimmer rescued off BT beach
Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers conducted a marine search for more than two hours Friday night, looking for a man who got into trouble in the water off Coe Wood Beach in Bodden Town.
Sushi chef dies in tragic fishing accident
A man described as “one of the most talented sushi chefs” in the Cayman Islands died in what appears to have been an accident this week along the northwestern coast of Grand Cayman. Tian Lun Ma, 39, who lived in West Bay but originally came from Shanghai, China, was found shortly after dawn Tuesday.
North Side ‘snowbirds’ return to burgled homes
Seven burglaries and one attempted burglary have been reported to police in the Rum Point area of North Side district within a month, leading police commanders to reopen the district police station in response to community fears about crime.
Man fishing from shore found dead in sea
A man who went shore fishing Monday night was found dead in the water early Tuesday just off the coast of West Bay district. The RCIPS is still investigating the death, but detectives said it appeared there were no suspicious circumstances related to the incident.
North Side police station reopens
Eight burglaries and one attempted burglary in North Side within a month have led Royal Cayman Islands Police Service commanders to reopen the district police station in response to residents’ fears about crime.
Brac emergency exercise prepares community for major incidents
Members of the Brac community recently took part in a training exercise that will help the island deal with a potential mass casualty incident. 20 people in Cayman Brac received training in mass casualty management at a course sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization and Hazard Management Cayman Islands.
New police commissioner heads to Brac
Cayman’s new Police Commissioner Derek Byrne heads to the Sister Islands on Friday for his first visit there since taking up the commissioner’s post on Nov. 7. The commissioner is expected to meet with police officers and community members during the two-day trip.
Cayman internet fraud report sets off worldwide probe
Two Cayman Islands residents who thought they were buying a relatively cheap Toyota RAV4 online ended up getting scammed for $3,000. However, their report of the crime to the RCIPS in October 2014 ended up becoming part of an international criminal investigation that led to a West African man being sentenced in Indiana.
Ganja boat lands in East End; no one on board
Royal Cayman Islands Police officers were searching East End district on Wednesday for the occupants of a canoe containing a substance believed to be ganja, which landed near Colliers Beach. Police found and seized the craft and the drugs on board around dawn.
Police arrest man after shot fired in West Bay
A West Bay man was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on two charges of “causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress” connected to a shooting incident last week. As of press time Tuesday afternoon, the man had not appeared in court.
Perpetrators among us
I feel compelled to write this from a place of humanity or rather a love of all animal beings, compassion, love and need for change. The recent events of the assaults at the Equestrian Centre have deeply affected my family and spurred a sense of urgency that the perpetrators are apprehended and made accountable for their actions. This disgusting crime has bred a fear in me that no parent should feel.
Police arrest 37, most for unpaid traffic tickets
More than three dozen people who did not show up in court or forgot to pay their traffic tickets got a reminder last week, and a trip downtown in a police car. Police said they arrested 37 people last week on outstanding warrants, according to a press release sent out Friday.
Missed flight delays top cop’s start date
A slight glitch in travel plans delayed incoming Royal Cayman Islands Police Commissioner David Byrne’s start date by one day. Police officials confirmed the new commissioner missed a connection in Miami airport Thursday and was not able to arrive in Grand Cayman until Friday.
UPDATED: Sixth arrest made in gangland violence
Five arrests were made this week in connection with ongoing criminal activity around Grand Cayman as police responded to a flurry of what officers termed gang-related incidents on Tuesday in West Bay district. RCIPS officers arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the brutal assault of a man on Birch Tree Hill Road.
EDITORIAL – Commissioner Byrne: Welcome, make yourself at home
Thanks largely to the efforts of previous leaders, including ex-Police Commissioner David Baines and Acting Commissioner Anthony Ennis, we can assert authoritatively that our streets are safe, our property is secure, and the Rule of Law prevails. It is crucial that we keep it that way. It is with great confidence that we entrust that duty to Commissioner Derek Byrne.
Sex abuse suspect accused of spreading ‘infectious disease’
A prisoner being held on remand at Northward was charged this week with gross indecency with a minor and committing a “negligent act likely to spread an infectious disease.” The suspect, who police did not name, is a 56-year-old George Town man.
Jamaicans conned in Cayman job scam
Social media solicitations offering jobs at a nonexistent Cayman Islands hotel have “tricked” hundreds of Jamaicans and at least one Cayman Islands resident out of their money. Officers with the Financial Crime Unit are investigating people who have placed job ads on social media sites, offering employment at a hotel property that does not exist.
New police commissioner to arrive in Cayman Thursday
Cayman’s new police commissioner, Derek Byrne, is scheduled to arrive on island Thursday evening to take up his post, the governor’s office confirmed this week. Mr. Byrne’s appointment to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was announced in August after a recruitment process that short-listed three candidates for the top cop’s job.
Two shot as ‘rising gang tensions’ boil over in West Bay
Gang-related violence that erupted within the past 48 hours in West Bay district appears to be the result of a revived feud between two groups and police attributed the incidents to “rising gang tensions” in a lengthy statement Wednesday. The violence culminated in the shooting of two people outside the Super C Restaurant on Tuesday.
Police awarded for bravery, professionalism
Eight Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers were recognized last week for their bravery and professionalism while performing lifesaving efforts in the line of duty.
Six people hospitalized, released in three-car crash
Six people, including three children, were hospitalized early Tuesday after a three-vehicle crash on South Sound Road during the morning rush-hour. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reports that a Toyota truck, a Kia sport utility vehicle and a BMW collided near the entrance to The Chimes condominiums around 7:30 a.m.
RCIPS to launch ‘demonstration’ distress flares Thursday
The Cayman Islands Joint Marine Unit will fire two distress flares off Seven Mile Beach around 7:30 p.m. Thursday as a demonstration for boaters and the general public. RCIPS Inspector Leo Anglin said the exercise will hopefully help the public distinguish between a distress flare and other lights seen on the open water, including fireworks.
New helipad for Faith Hospital
A new helipad at the Brac’s Faith Hospital is providing the island with a much needed dedicated emergency landing site. At an opening ceremony held on Monday, Oct. 3, visiting U.K. Overseas Territories Minister, Baroness Joyce Anelay, and Governor Helen Kilpatrick cut the ribbon on the hospital’s new emergency helipad.
UK Overseas Territories Minister makes first trip to Cayman
U.K. Overseas Territories Minister, Baroness Joyce Anelay, made what is believed to be the first speech given by anyone in her position to the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly on Tuesday morning, during a whirlwind tour of all three Cayman islands. The baroness visited the Sister Islands Monday, stating she could not have “chosen a more beautiful starting point” for her first trip to a British Overseas Territory.
Caymanian trainee Stephanie Adolphus admitted as attorney-at-law
CIIPA invites all to annual gala; IP Office stages enforcement training for copyright law; and Caymanian law trainee admitted as attorney-at-law
Cayman’s ‘boys in blue’ going gray?
Two-thirds of the officers currently employed in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service are age 40 or above, while fewer than 5 percent of officers now wearing the RCIPS uniform are aged 28 years or younger, according to department statistics released to the Cayman Compass last week.
EDITORIAL – Child sex abuse: Investigating the police investigation
Governor Kilpatrick has spoken with clarity, authority and righteousness. It’s an auspicious beginning to an arduous process of truth-seeking.
‘Racing’ DVDL inspector case goes to prosecutor
The traffic case involving a Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing vehicle inspector who crashed a car he was test driving on July 11 has gone to local prosecutors for a ruling.
Petition seeks dismissal of officers in sex abuse investigation
An online petition has been circulated asking Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick to change the way local police handle child sex abuse cases in the wake of a court verdict last week that cited a “grossly incompetent” investigation by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.
Tasers used 63 times since weapons first introduced
Police have used Taser stun guns 63 times and fired them at suspects on 19 different occasions since the weapons were first introduced in February 2013, according to information from an open records request.
RCIPS apologizes over case, officers face internal review
An internal disciplinary review of all officers involved in the 2012 child abuse case was under way before the not guilty verdict being reached Thursday, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has confirmed.
Police employee misses her court date
Two civilian employees of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service were due in Summary Court on Tuesday on charges that included breach of trust, but only one appeared.
North Siders wonder what happened at police station
Lifelong North Side resident Alex Johnson started noticing the local police station property looking a bit run down a few weeks ago.
Police employee misses court date
Two civilian employees of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service were due in Summary Court on Tuesday on charges that included breach of trust, but only one appeared.
Services recruitment drive draws hundreds
More than 250 applications were submitted at a recruitment drive on Wednesday by those seeking to join the emergency and prison services.
EDITORIAL – Arresting development: Cayman’s police deserve our applause
The succession of recent headlines in the Cayman Compass read like a spinning-newspaper montage scene from a black-and-white crime-fighting picture.
Police make arrest in East End beating
An East End man was arrested Wednesday in connection with an attack last weekend that left a man in a coma.
Police get second helicopter pilot
Police have hired a second helicopter pilot to bolster the understaffed Air Operations Unit, which has been down to a single pilot since February.
EDITORIAL – When children are forced to wait for justice
In 2012, a young girl stepped forward with the most serious of allegations – that she had been the victim of sustained sexual abuse. And then, she waited for someone to do something about it … and waited … and waited … and waited.
