SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX Main cover title goes here ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 High of 90 Low of 81 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Politics Is Hispanic outreach enough? 5 Nation A gender barrier is KO’d 8 World Questions linger over Brexit 10 5 Myths Presidential health 23 BRINGING BLACK HISTORY TO LIFE Museum has been a century in the making PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 . IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST Bringing black history to life EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 PERMANENT RESIDENCE: A HIGH PRICE TO PAY FOR DAWDLE AND DELAY Cayman’s aging police force Fewer than 5 percent of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service are aged 28 years or younger, while two-thirds of the officers now wearing the RCIPS uniform are age 40 or above, according to department statistics released to the Cayman Compass. Age range of uniform officers in the RCIPS DATA: RCIPS 18-28 17 29-39 104 40-49 152 50-59 85 60+ 7 MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 1,000 people packed Cricket Square on Friday evening for the 4th annual Hannah’s Heroes Big Shave to raise funds for the St. Baldrick’s Founda- tion, the largest private funder of pedi- atric cancer research. A total of 118 men, women and chil- dren shaved their heads to raise funds and show their solidarity with children fighting cancer, who often lose their hair following chemotherapy treatment. Amongst the freshly shorn volun- teers were the parents of Cayman’s child- hood cancer survivors, Nigel and Gay- lene Meeson, whose daughter Hannah was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in 2012; Trent and Belinda Grant, parents to leukemia survivor Tayden, age 9; Woody Foster, whose 9-year old daughter Charli was diagnosed with leukemia at age 2; and Richard Reading, father of 5-year- old Annabelle, also a leukemia survivor. Also present was 6-year old Beau Shields who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the age of 5 months. Mrs. Meeson, who started Hannah’s Heroes four years ago, now lives in Hong Kong and returned to Cayman to help or- ganize the event. She welcomed the crowd Stats reveal aging police force, few youngsters joining BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com 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, ac- cording to department statis- tics released to the Cayman Compass last week. The records reveal that out of 365 uniformed officers just 17 (4.7 percent) were between ages 18-28 at the time the sta- tistics were tallied last month. Eighteen is the minimum age one must attain before joining the local police service. On the other hand, 237 po- lice officers, representing 65 percent of the department, were between the ages of 40 and 59. An additional seven police of- ficers were over age 60, ac- cording to the records. About 42 percent of the offi- cers fell between the 40-49 age MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Consumer prices in the Cayman Islands have fallen for the past 18 months. The Consumer Price Index, which measures prices changes for a select basket of goods and services, dropped 0.8 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2015. It was the sixth consecutive quarter prices in Cayman have fallen when compared with the same period in the previous year, a report by the Economics and Statistics Office shows. Commenting on lower unemployment fig- ures, economic growth and prices, Minister of Fi- nance, Marco Archer, said, “Currently, inflation is under control, more persons are being employed and there is increased spending and investment within our economy.” Falling prices mean “that generally the cost of living has decreased and persons have a bit more disposable income that they can choose to spend as they wish or increase their savings,” Mr. Archer said. Lower fuel prices, in particular, have pushed down the average charges for electricity, water and related services, gas and other fuels, as well as transport costs, he noted. Economic theorists normally consider a whole- sale drop in prices, also called deflation, as dan- gerous for the economy. This is because deflation is often an indication of slowing demand and con- sumers putting off purchases in the expectation that prices will fall further. This could result, ac- cording to traditional economic theory, in a vi- cious cycle of ever lower prices that in turn leads Shaved heads raise more than $200,000 Cayman’s ‘boys in blue’ going gray? DEFLATION CONTINUES: PRICES DOWN 0.8 PERCENT IN 2ND QUARTER A total of 118 men, women and children shaved their heads to raise funds and show their solidarity with children fighting cancer. - PHOTO: DEEP BLUE IMAGES PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS MIAMI (AP) – Jose Fer- nandez, the ace right-hander for the Miami Marlins who escaped Cuba to become one of baseball’s brightest stars, was killed in a boating acci- dent early Sunday morning. Fernandez was 24. He and two other people died when their 32-foot vessel slammed into a jetty off Miami Beach, authorities said. “We are devastated by the tragic loss of José Fernández,” the Marlins said in a statement. Reaction quickly poured in from around the game. Major League Baseball released a statement saying it was “stunned and devastated.” “He was one of our game’s great young stars who made a dramatic impact on and off the field since his debut in 2013,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Miami Marlins organization and all of the people he touched in his life.” The Marlins’ game Sunday at home against the Atlanta Braves has been can- celed. The Braves, along with several other teams, quickly shared their condolences with the Marlins. “Hands down one of my favorite guys to watch pitch! He brought nothing but in- tensity and passion,” Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price said on Twitter early Sunday. Because the boat was on a jetty, the Coast Guard noti- fied Miami-Dade police, which turned the investigation over to the Florida Fish and Wild- life Conservation Commission. Fernandez was on a 32- foot vessel that had a “se- vere impact” with a jetty, said FWC’s Lorenzo Veloz. The overturned boat remained in the water Sunday morning, its engine partially submerged as its nose pointed skyward, as debris from the crash was scattered over some of the large jagged rocks. Fernandez’s death imme- diately brought memories of past baseball tragedies, such as the deaths of Thurman Munson and Roberto Cle- mente – stars who died in plane crashes in the 1970s. Cleveland teammates Steve Olin and Tim Crews were killed in a boating accident in Florida in 1993, and the game also reeled from the sudden deaths of major leaguers Darryl Kile, Lyman Bostock and Cory Lidle in recent years. “Jose was a remarkable young man and a tremen- dously gifted athlete, who, at just 24, established him- self as one of the game’s big- gest and brightest stars,” said Tony Clark, the executive di- rector of the Major League Baseball Players Association. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jose’s family, friends, teammates, Miami Marlins organization and legions of fans in the United States and Latin America.” The Miami Dolphins said they would have a moment of silence before their game in nearby Miami Gardens on Sunday afternoon to re- member Fernandez. City of Miami Fire-Rescue workers were seen car- rying bodies, draped and on stretchers, at the Coast Guard station after sunrise Sunday. Officials later said they were taken to the medical exam- iner’s office. Two bodies were found under the vessel and a third was found on the jetty, said Capt. Leonel Reyes of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Marine Services Bureau. The names of the other two individuals are being withheld pending notification of rela- tives, the Coast Guard said. “It does appear that speed was involved due to the impact and the severity of it,” said Veloz, the FWC spokesman. “It does appear to be that they were coming at full speed when they en- countered the jetty, and the accident happened.” Veloz said there was no immediate indication that al- cohol or drugs were a cause in the crash. He also said none of the three victims wore a life jacket, and that the boat was owned by a friend of Fernandez’s. “It does pertain to a friend of Jose who is very well con- nected with several Marlins players and I have stopped that boat before for safety inspections with other Mar- lins players on board,” Veloz said. “We know that this boat knows the area. We just can’t answer why this happened.” Fernandez was a two- time All-Star who went 38-17 in his four seasons with the Marlins, winning the NL’s Rookie of the Year award in 2013. The native of Santa Clara, Cuba became a U.S. cit- izen last year and was enor- mously popular in Miami. assistant youth director for the Cayman Islands. In his address at the Grand Cayman ceremony, Pastor Clarke reminded the new members that “every- body has a gift from God” and charged them to discover and develop that gift. Mrs. Watkins told the new members that the training they received as Pathfinders and Adventurers can be transferred into their lives outside the clubs, citing for example that four of five Adventist students who were appointed this month to key leadership roles at the Clifton Hunter High School were ac- tive members of Grand Cay- man’s Pathfinder Club. The two recently ap- pointed deputy head girls at the school are Pathfinder “Guide” Brianna Bodden and Pathfinder “Voyager” Theola Williams. Two new prefects for the new school year at the school are also Path- finders – “Voyager” Quideen Jones and “Guide” Abigail Smith. The school’s new head boy, Keanu Oliver, while not a member of the Pathfinder Club, is a member of the Ad- ventist Church, Mrs. Watkins pointed out. Congratulating the young people on their achievement, Pastor Shion O’Connor, pres- ident of the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, said: “The Sev- enth-day Adventist Church continues to be proud of our youth, who can gener- ally be counted on to dem- onstrate Christian decorum, healthy social interactions and rare leadership skills that make them role models in an era filled with vice and many distractions.” Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (PG13) 12:30 | 3:30 | 6:50 | 9:50 KUBO AND THE TWO (PG) STRINGS 3D 1:05 | 3:30 2D | 7:05 | 9:35 2D THE QUEEN OF KATWE (PG) 1:30 | 4:20 | 7:10 | 10:00 STORKS 3D (PG) 1:00 2D | 4:00 | 6:40 2D | 9:00 WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS (PG13) 1:10 | 3:50 | 7:3`0 | 10:05 BRIDGET JONES’S BABY (R) 1:20 | 4:10 | 7:00 | 9:55 - MONDAY - Cayman’s Adventist youth achieve in international program More than 160 Adven- tist youth on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac have ad- vanced in a regional and international program de- signed to encourage civic and community involve- ment and spiritual and per- sonal development. The ceremony formalizing the achievements of the 146 young members on Grand Cayman took place at the Kings Church on Saturday, Sept. 17, while the Brac cer- emony, in which 17 members qualified, was held on Sat- urday, Sept. 10. The Grand Cayman cer- emony involved two clubs – “Pathfinders,” for the older age group, and “Adventurers,” for the younger set. Organizers said both clubs are built on an age- specific tiered curriculum in- volving approximately 350 specialized skill develop- ment topics, covering arts and crafts, aquatics, nature, household arts, recreation, spiritual development, health, and vocational training. Pastor Eric Clarke, youth director for the Adventist Church for the region, joined Pastor Vaughan Henry, the local youth director and Merle Watkins, director for the Cayman Islands Pathfinder Club, to conduct the Grand Cayman service. The Cayman Brac service was conducted by Mrs. Watkins, who is also Mrs. Watkins told the new members that the training they received as Pathfinders and Adventurers can be transferred into their lives outside the clubs. A two-vehicle collision near Queen’s Court on West Bay Road caused one car to catch fire early Sat- urday morning at around 12:30 a.m. Five people were in- jured in the accident, but none of the injuries were life threatening, police said in a statement. Emergency services re- sponded to the scene of accident and the fire was quickly extinguished. The circumstances around the crash are under investigation by the RCIPS. “He was one of our game’s great young stars who made a dramatic impact on and off the field since his debut in 2013.” ROB MANFRED, MLB Commissioner Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez dies in boating accident ACCIDENT RESULTS IN CAR FIRE ON WEST BAY ROAD Five students, recently appointed to leadership roles at Clifton Hunter High School, are Pathfinders or members of the Adventist church. From left, Quideen Jones, Theola Williams, Keanu Oliver, Brianna Bodden and Abigail Smith. Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Lund: ‘I’m determined to walk again’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Visiting Cayman Is- lands real estate broker Kim Lund’s home on Friday, an observer would not have thought anything much had changed since an Aug. 13 fall that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Mr. Lund was on the phone in his study, which overlooks the Britannia golf course, talking business. “I’ve just done a Water- Colours deal this week and I’m working on some other sales right now,” he said, adding that he planned to go back to work at the RE/ MAX offices along Seven Mile Beach Monday. The only difference from before the accident is that Mr. Lund was negotiating while sitting in a wheelchair with a heavy back brace on. It’s a situation the long-time real estate broker/owner said will be temporary. “I’m determined to walk again,” said the 59-year-old. “I’m determined to make that happen. It’s going to be a long and difficult road, six to 18 months, but the doctors have said there are no medical rea- sons why I won’t walk again.” What occurred during the early morning of Aug. 13 has been the subject of con- siderable speculation after it was made public that Mr. Lund fell from the second story of his Britannia condo- minium in the early morning hours. Mr. Lund and his wife Ashleigh told the Cayman Compass Friday they wanted to set the record straight. Mr. Lund said he had been out late the night of Aug. 12 at a friend’s home just down the street in the Britannia development and fell asleep on his friend’s couch. When he woke up, he said it was about 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 and Mr. Lund decided to walk home. He found the door locked when he arrived and realized he’d brought the wrong set of keys with him. At this point, he said he de- cided to climb up to the home’s second-story entrance to attempt to gain entry. That door was also locked. His wife and two children were off island visiting rela- tives in Texas, and the house- keeper had gone, so there was no one to let Mr. Lund in, he said. He then sent a text message to his friend at the Britannia complex, let- ting him know that he could not get into his own home and would be coming back to the friend’s house for a while that morning. It was fortunate for Mr. Lund that he sent the message. “On my way back down [from the second story], I slipped on the roof and fell,” he said. “It was about five minutes later he came looking for me and found me. I was lucky.” The property around Mr. Lund’s condo is heavily land- scaped and it’s possible he might have laid there, un- able to move, for hours or even longer without anyone noticing. “I was in shock,” he said. “My first thought was ‘oh my God, I can’t feel my legs.’” The fall left Mr. Lund par- alyzed from the waist down. He also suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung. Be- tween Saturday morning, Aug. 13 and Wednesday, Aug. 17, he had two surgeries at the Cayman Islands Hospital. He was then flown off island to Jackson Memorial Hos- pital in Miami for recovery and rehabilitative efforts. “George Town hospital was excellent,” he said. “Dr. James Akinwunmi [the sur- geon] was excellent.” The next five weeks were spent in what Mr. Lund de- scribed as agonizing recovery in Miami. He said his wife stayed in the hospital with him each night, convincing the hospital staff to let her sleep there. “She was with me every day for five weeks, and thank God she was, it made it so much easier,” he said. Although being partially paralyzed cannot be consid- ered positive, Mr. Lund said doctors were pleased to find there had been no severing or puncture wounds to his spine from the fall. Once the bruising and swelling associ- ated with the injury recedes in a month or two, a better assessment can be done of what condition the spine is in. It’s likely Mr. Lund will have to be flown off island for further treatment. The Lunds returned home to Cayman on Monday, Sept. 19, and Mrs. Lund said the family has been overwhelmed with the community sup- port they received in the form of well-wishes, prayers and even people bringing cooked food to the house since they have returned. “Ashleigh doesn’t even cook anymore,” Mr. Lund laughs. “We just go to the front door and hey, there’s some lasagna.” “You can’t even go out to the gas station without someone asking ‘how’s Kim?’” Mrs. Lund said. “It shows what a loving, caring place it really is,” Mr. Lund said. “This is Cayman, it’s absolutely incredible. Just coming back here itself is therapeutic.” 175197_PRINT-Ad-Compass-4colx12-Page 1 9/9/16 12:03:51 PM Kim and Ashleigh Lund at home in Cayman, with their family dogs, Friday. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLERMONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 “The potential for some foreign nationals to bring and successfully argue that the current failure to have in place a rational and effective permanent residence system breaches their human rights and the Cayman Islands Con- stitution increases on a daily basis.” – Alastair David, immigration attorney While the legal analysis by HSM Chambers law firm of Cayman’s current immigration situation is complex, the overall point is quite simple: Our government’s continuing refusal to consider hundreds of permanent residence applications, coupled with flaws in the assessment criteria themselves, has put the country at great, and growing, risk of being taken to court, and losing – big time – with significant financial ramifications. Regular readers of Compass editorials know that we have been steadily beating the warning drum on this topic ever since it became obvious that the Progressives admin- istration had no intention of granting PR to anyone who has applied since legislators changed the Immigration Law in fall 2013, and, on the contrary, had every intention of depriving even the most clearly qualified applicants of a decision, no matter the diktats of the law, the Constitution or international standards of human rights. Our remarks have been reinforced from time to time by authoritative conclusions, including from Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s scathing August 2015 ruling against immigration injustices, and more recently from the U.K. Privy Council’s findings in a relevant (but not identical) citizenship scenario in Antigua and Barbuda. That being said, we’re “just journalists,” not attorneys. However, Mr. David and Nicolas Joseph, of HSM, most definitely are. Their analysis of weaknesses, risks and potential legal exposure in Cayman’s current immigration paradigm carries considerable intellectual heft. We suspect that HSM’s analysis is similar in substance to the consultant’s report ($312,000 worth of wisdom) presented by local immigration attorney David Ritch to the government earlier this year. Our suspicions are based on the professional esteem and reputation accrued by Messrs. David, Joseph and Ritch; we would be sur- prised if their observations diverged dramatically while looking at the same landscape. Unfortunately, though, we cannot make any declara- tive statements about Mr. Ritch’s report – at least not yet – because Premier Alden McLaughlin and his officials so far have refused to make it public. Their claim is that the report constitutes legal advice and is subject to legal privilege – meaning that the government does not have to release the report to public viewing, and therefore they will not. The Compass is currently challenging that inter- pretation, so time will tell if the Ritch report ever reaches the eyes of the people who paid for it – namely you. Many of our readers may be tempted to draw a parallel between the current situation and what happened in the years before 2003, when then-Leader of Govern- ment Business McKeeva Bush felt compelled to grant Caymanian status to thousands of people, en masse. There are similarities. However, where the current situation is dissimilar is, in addition to the prospect of mass PR approvals (perhaps through the courts rather than Cabinet or immigration authorities) is that, this time around, the Privy Council has set a precedent that a government can be held liable for monetary damages for waiting more than a year to make a decision on an immigration application, regardless of what the decision ultimately is. Make no doubt, thanks to this government’s years of deliberate inaction, there will be consequences to pay – for the country, financially, and for the Progressives, perhaps politically. – EDITORIAL – Permanent residence: A high price to pay for dawdle and delay Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” PETER MORICI The most disturbing aspect of the presidential campaign is neither major party nominee has adequately focused on rekindling economic growth. In this century, GDP has advanced a paltry 1.8 a year and annual family in- comes have fallen nearly $1,400, whereas during the Reagan-Clinton era growth was 3.4 percent and incomes rose more than $7,500. Trump blames trade and immigration. Those are important to get right, but other forces also must be harnessed for Ameri- cans to thrive in the global economy. Hillary Clinton blames white men and corporations. Her whole campaign is pre- mised on the notion that universities and corporate managers are handicapping America by conspiring against women and minorities, when the makeup of the student body at most campuses reveals a different story and businesses nowadays earnestly recruit and pay well women and minorities to avoid lawsuits. The problems are more radical and paradoxical. Capital and energy – once scarce and expensive – are now abun- dant, and workers – still too expensive in America as compared to Asia – are be- coming obsolete. The digital economy based on more intellectual property – computer apps and artificial intelligence – and less on hard assets – industrial buildings and equipment – greatly reduces the amount of physical capital businesses need to make and create products. Machinery is more versatile. Consider the range of objects a 3D printer can be programmed to make or tasks your smart phone can accomplish – as com- pared to the metal presses and desktops those replaced. Google was launched with only $25 million in 1999 and grew into a $23 bil- lion enterprise at its initial public offering five years later, but it took billions and de- cades for Henry Ford to create a company of similar value with global scope. Digital growth is powered by elec- tricity, not petroleum. Abundant natural gas and gradually cheaper solar and wind power will make this electricity, and oil prices will stay down. Paradoxically, as life is made easier by telecommuting, Internet shopping and smart phones, the official GDP growth statistics are pulled down almost every quarter by weak business investments in commercial buildings and machinery. Businesses do spend more on intel- lectual property – software and the like – but it hardly replaces what they have quit spending on machines and build- ings to house them. At the same time, jobs growth and wages are pushed down by ever smarter machines, such as automatic tellers at banks and checkers at drug stores, and the army of robots Amazon is deploying at fulfillment centers to replace clerks as online sales cannibalize brick and mortar commerce. Now the economy is on the brink of an artificial intelligence revolution with the potential to replace 90 percent of all occupations as we know them, from car- penters to economics professors. As a nation we simply fail to grasp the consequences. Schools spend much more time teaching children about civil rights than computer coding. International trade agreements focus most on how much governments tax and regulate foreign goods but hardly enough on industrial espionage. Amazon can protect its Web-based software from would-be pirates at IBM but not very well from Chinese hackers. With factories in overabundance, trade agreements simply don’t address currency manipulation that permits Asians to sell everything they make at artificially discounted prices and shift the burdens of downsizing and unem- ployment onto American workers. Both Trump and Clinton recognize the need to stand up to China, but fixing the economy only begins there. The end- less obsession with political correctness in schools and the workplace – instead of the technologies that define a new era – is an important reason why Americans are not doing well these days. To prosper, the bickering needs to end. Peter Morici is a professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. He served as chief economist of the U.S. International Trade Commission from 1993-1995. He tweets @pmorici1. Growing the economy, instead of bickering SOME UNEXPECTED GOOD NEWS PROVIDENCE JOURNAL (R.I.) EDITORIAL BOARD Do you feel richer? The latest in- come and poverty report from the U.S. Census Bureau brought some unex- pected good economic news, and not just to the wealthiest 1 percent. For the first time since 2007, ac- cording to the government agency, the U.S. median household income rose – and significantly, by 5.2 percent. That means the American household at the median – with half of the households wealthier and half poorer – brought in $56,516 last year, up from $53,718 in 2014. The number of Americans living in poverty declined by 3.5 million, to 43.1 million. As Paul Harrington, director of the Center for Labor Markets and Policy at Drexel University, noted in the Journal’s coverage of the Census Bu- reau report, “this is a big bump and it kind of came out of nowhere.” But of course, this rising tide did not lift all boats at the same rate. Rural areas didn’t improve as much as urban ones. The South did not fare as well as the Northeast and West. Black households did not do as well as white households. All in all, the Census Bureau report gives credence to the view that America’s economic picture is brightening, though many are clearly not sharing in the good times, with a changing economy squeezing workers out of the picture, particularly those with specialized skills. We must continue to help workers train for a world where skills, innovation and education will drive financial success. The increased use of robots equipped with artificial intelligence to do menial tasks suggests a very different world will be emerging in the decades ahead. At any rate, it’s better to feel the wind at your back, rather than in your face. Here’s to continuing fair skies and steady hands on the tiller. © 2016, Associated Press5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Celebrate Literacy Month this September with marvellous events and activities in honour of Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday. THIS WEEK’S EVENTS TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER Roald Dahl Story Time The BFG (ages 0-4) Regal Cinemas, 11am SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER Roald Dahl Movie The BFG (2016, PG) Regal Cinemas, 10am CI $5 special price Roald Dahl Story Time The BFG (ages 2-7) Books & Books, 10:30am THURSDAY 29 SEPTEMBER Roald Dahl Story Time The BFG (ages 0-3) Books & Books, 3pm Marvellous Mixology Class Bon Vivant, 6-8pm To register, call 345.623.2665 “Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music.” – Matilda by CAMANABAY.COM For more Literacy Month happenings, visit Cayman to host museums conference The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands will host the 27th annual general meeting and conference of the Museums Association of the Caribbean next month. Organizers said the con- ference, to be held Oct. 9-12, will bring to Cayman an in- ternational and Caribbean audience of museum direc- tors, educators, academics and historians from as far afield as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Cul- ture in Washington, D.C. This will be the first re- gional conference hosted by the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, with sup- port from the Ministry of Health and Culture, at the gallery’s new site on the Es- terley Tibbetts Highway. The gallery’s director Nat- alie Urquhart said in a press release, “We were honored to have been selected to host MAC 2016 and are confident that our organization and fa- cility, along the Islands’ in- frastructure and vibrant cul- tural community, will ensure an informative, inspiring, and successful event for all par- ticipants. Importantly, is an exciting opportunity for the Cayman Islands to connect with our regional cultural partners and to provide a platform for continued inter- regional dialogue.” The conference theme, “The Essential Museum – Re- defining the Role of the Cul- tural and Heritage Sector for 21st Century Audiences,” was selected by the National Gal- lery of the Cayman Islands to address the evolving role that cultural entities can play within their communities, Ms. Urquhart said. Established in 1987, the Museums Association of the Caribbean, known as MAC, serves as a key forum for the interchange of information and ideas for the cultural sector through meetings, publications and museum ex- changes. Member organiza- tions of MAC include tradi- tional national museums, art museums, heritage facilities, university museums and cul- tural academics. According to the press re- lease, the conference presen- tations “will explore and ques- tion how museums can define and demonstrate public value in the modern age; how in- stitutions can play integral roles in civic engagement, ed- ucation, research, steward- ship, and social change; how they can best serve their di- verse audiences; and how the digital realm can help open up access for hard-to- reach communities.” Twenty presentations are scheduled, including a key- note panel discussion with Dr. Veerle Poupeye from the National Gallery of Jamaica, Amanda Coulson from the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, and Ms. Urquhart. Delegates will get to ex- plore some of Cayman’s cul- tural sites, including the Na- tional Gallery, Mind’s Eye – The Visionary World of Miss Lassie and Pedro St. James, and will also visit West Bay and Bodden Town. The schedule also includes an evening event presented by Cayman Islands National Mu- seum, which hosted the 1995 MAC conference, showcasing the history of the Cayman Islands through the muse- um’s collection, along with local craft displays and food. The closing reception will be hosted by Governor Kilpatrick at Government House. “This is a wonderful chance to showcase the very best of Caymanian culture to our regional guests and we are grateful to our sister cultural organizations for opening their doors and en- suring access to the full cul- tural offerings available,” Ms. Urquhart said. Registration is open to the public and can be completed online via the MAC website at www.caribbeanmuseums.com, with subsidized registration fees for students. For details email info@nationalgallery.org.ky. The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands has been selected to host the 27th annual general meeting and conference of the Museums Association of the Caribbean on Oct 9-12. As of Sept. 1, ads should direct local investors to Trade and Business Licensing Board The Trade and Licensing Board is advising foreign companies that advertise for Caymanian participation in their business ventures to di- rect those potential local in- vestors to the board. The board issued a state- ment Friday, quoting sec- tion 11 of the Local Compa- nies (Control) License Law, known as the LCCL, which states, among other condi- tions, that the board must consider efforts made by the foreign companies to ob- tain Caymanian participa- tion in business ventures be- fore granting an LCCL. “Therefore, as proof of seeking Caymanian partici- pation, the Board requires foreign investors to publish the ads in the local press. As of Sept. 1 2016, the ads must instruct Caymanians to submit a separate copy of their letter of interest in the business venture directly to the Board,” the release states. The board advised that all LCCL advertisements must indicate that letters from Caymanians should be copied to the Trade and Business Licensing Board, c/o the Department of Com- merce and Investment, Gov- ernment Administration Building, 133 Elgin Avenue Suite 126, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The board also advised that when submitting appli- cations to the Board, foreign investors must include copies of the two local newspaper ads, published in accordance with the law, that solicited Caymanian participation. According to the board, the procedural changes to the LCCL application pro- cess “will encourage com- pliance with the law.” The board added that applica- tions with incorrect ads will not be considered. LCCL applications must be submitted in person at the Business Licensing Counter, on the first floor of the Government Adminis- tration Building, Mondays to Fridays, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. In addition to the two newspaper ads, applications must be accompanied by due diligence such as a po- lice clearance, copies of pass- ports, references, and the relevant fees. Changes in LCCL advertisingDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS CUC donates trees to primary school JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government schools and homes around Cayman are getting free shade trees thanks to the efforts of Caribbean Utilities Company. During its 50th anniversary celebra- tions, the company is planting 50 trees at schools and other locations, including the Frances Bodden Girls’ Home and the Pines retirement home. “We have over 65 volunteers from the company planting the trees around the schools and homes,” said CUC spokes- woman Pat Bynoe-Clarke, during the planting of four neem trees at the George Town Primary School playing field on Thursday. “We’re happy to see the trees being planted,” said Marie Martin, the primary school’s principal. “We were not able to put plants along the perimeter of the field when it was used for Cayman Island Football Association games, but since they built the new CIFA Centre of Excellence, we were then given permission to plant shade trees. We need lots of trees for children to make use of during the hot sunny days.” Ms. Bynoe-Clarke said George Town, Savannah, Red Bay and Edna Moyle pri- mary schools, as well as the Sir John A. Cumber, Clifton Hunter and John Gray high schools, will each receive orna- mental trees, such as neem and yellow and pink poui. Two fruit trees will be planted at the girls home and the retirement residence. The trees were purchased from the Agri- culture Department. Recently parents and students of the Equestrian Center in George Town held a bingo fundraiser at the George Town Yacht Club to help defray the cost of heightening security on that property after an attack on two of their ponies. Pictured here from left are Lori Scott, Kayla Mannisto and Sophie Scott. – PHOTO: GEORGE NOWAK Kids, parents raise funds for pony center CUC volunteer workers helps students Jacob Kelly, Julius Parsons, Savio Seymour and Marlon Satahoo plant trees at George Town Primary School. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY In the Sept. 28, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, George Town news included: “The first football match of the season was played at the Sec. Mod. School on Friday morning between Triple C and the Govt. Sec. Grammar School. The final score was 3-2, the Sec. Grammar School being the winners. “A shower for Joanne [Groves] and stag party for Rudi [Selzer] followed by a dance completed a happy evening for invited guests at the Galleon Beach Hotel on Wednesday last. Music was by the Kiemanaires. “Joanne received many handsome and useful gifts at what was for her obviously a surprise event. Mrs. Hebe Massias, Mrs. Isabel Warren and Mrs. Lyda Bush arranged the shower. “Rudy and Joanne plan to tie the knot on Oct. 5 at the Church of God chapel in George Town.” In the same issue, George Town correspondent Frances Bodden wrote: “The passengers north- bound on the 25th were Mrs. Jackie Webb, and her beautiful little daughter Lisa, who is going to join her husband. She was ac- companied by her brother, Mr. Truman Bodden who is on his way to Eng- land via New York. He is to study law at the Inner Temple to become a bar- rister, and expects to be away for about 3½ years. “Mr. Bodden has been with Barclays Bank D.C.O., George Town, for several years and has done ex- ceedingly well and we now wish him every suc- cess in his new sphere. “Mrs. Anthony Tom- linson left for Kingston with her son Steve seeking medical aid for him. He is a brilliant student at the Grammar School and we wish for him a speedy re- covery. Mrs. Tomlinson was accompanied by her daughter Mrs. Chester Ebanks and her two chil- dren. Her son Gurwin and his wife arrived from Miami in transit. Mr. An- thony, her husband, is to meet them in Kingston from New York. “An enjoyable cricket game was held on the 26th at the Sec. Mod. School grounds. A bach- elors XI captained by H. Ricketts played to an ex- citing draw a married men’s XI captained by G. Neill. The bachelors batted first and made 92 runs thanks to an innings of 28 by N. Jackson and also a good 22 runs by A. Jen- nings. Skipper H. Rick- etts also made 19 valu- able runs. Chief wickets taken for the married men were J. Powell with five, C. Glidden and E. Parchment with two each. “The married men at the finish needed four runs to win with 2 wickets standing, thanks to a good knock of 25 not out by D. Wight and a good 25 by skipper G. Neill. Chief wicket-takers for the bachelors were P. Mil- burn with 6 and H. Rick- etts with one each. It is hoped another match will be played on the 2nd.” 50 YEARS AGO: Schools hold season’s first football matchDistrict Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 New benches offer a friendly space Two colorfully decorated friendship benches made their debut this month at Cayman Prep. Designed by students, the benches were unveiled during the Friday school as- sembly on Sept. 9. “The student council wanted to come up with an idea to help someone strug- gling to play with someone, or who was feeling lonely or left out or needs a friend,” explained the school’s stu- dent council coordinator Karen Doran. “The idea of a friend- ship bench is that a student needing a friend or someone to talk to will go and sit on the bench; that’s a sign to other kids to come over.” Ms. Doran said the council came up with an idea for the friendship benches. “The student council wrote to the PTA proposing the idea and the PTA agreed to fund the project.” They decided to do a con- test where all students were invited to submit designs, and the council voted on their fa- vorite ones. “We had hundreds of sub- missions, it was lovely to see the interest,” said Ms. Doran. “School caretaker Durga Ramsahoi made the benches and they were painted by the Year 6 students.” One bench was designed by Zolla Jones and Lauren Chiazza, who drew the design while in Year 6. The girls have since moved on to high school and have just started Year 8. “I am really glad to have been involved in the friendship bench project,” said Lauren. “It will hope- fully create and help maintain friendships and relationships for all future generations of kids, teachers and parents at the school. That’s a special thing to be a part of.” Zolla noted that since school is not just about learning but about making friends as well, the idea of the friendship benches really took off and inspired a lot of stu- dents to submit designs. “I really liked the concept and it gave me a chance to do something for the school,” she said. “I never thought that our design would win and am delighted that our friendship bench will help bring primary school students closer.” She said the girls wanted their design to be calming, “so we picked a cherry blossom tree, but also wanted it to be bright so it would stand out in the playground,” said Zolla. The second bench was de- signed by Mason Oelschlager. “I made the design bright and happy so kids might feel that [way], even if they are feeling a bit unsure or lonely,” he said. “The bench is to remind the other kids not to forget ones that might get left out,” he added. At the unveiling, school principal Trish Taylor spoke to the students about the meaning of the benches, re- minding the children of the support that was available to them. Zolla is hopeful the idea behind the benches will have a lasting impact at the school and beyond. “It’s definitely important that we do nice things for each other without asking for any- thing in return; that’s a moral everyone should be taught. If it only helps one child in the whole year, it will have served its purpose,” she said. “I would say to a kid who is feeling lonely or bul- lied, that they are not alone and everyone feels lonely at points in their lives and you’ve just got to push through,” she added. Students team up for young heart patients A group of young vol- unteers has been lending a helping hand to young heart patients. Student volunteers with the Impact 345 group have been giving their time and companionship to children from overseas who have been brought to Cayman for free heart surgeries or- ganized by the Health City Cayman Islands hospital’s Have a Heart Foundation. Each week, the students visit the patients post-sur- gery and present them with a backpack filled with goodies. They also play games, read stories and teach each other English, Spanish and Creole. According to a press re- lease, volunteers Jayda and Nadia Simmonds of Cayman Prep and High School wanted to do even more to help the young patients. Just before the summer school break, they remem- bered seeing a pile of un- claimed items left by stu- dents at their school under the sign: “Are you missing anything? All unclaimed items will be donated.” They approached the school’s Office Manager Lana Arch-Jarvis and asked if they could have the un- claimed items, which in- cluded backpacks, water bottles, lunch boxes and sweaters. The release states school principal Phillip Bur- gess gladly agreed, and now the girls will be getting to- gether with other members of Impact 345 to prepare backpacks with those items for the 14 children currently in hospital recovering from heart surgery. “I encourage the stu- dents to continue with this charitable cause and I commended the work of the students and volunteers of Impact 345,” said Mr. Burgess. The young activists are excited to help. “Although this donation is a small one, the gift of time and good health is a blessing,” said Jayda. “Have a Heart Foundation perform miracles of saving these children who are less fortunate than we are, and volunteers with Impact 345 spend quality time with them throughout their recovery. I hope many more of my peers will join us and give of their time,” said Jayda. Cayman Prep and High School student Ria Plun- kett is another volunteer with the project. “Being part of Impact 345 is incredibly rewarding, I feel I can make a differ- ence in someone’s life just by visiting with, chatting and caring for these chil- dren while they are recov- ering in a strange place.” Founder of Impact 345 Holly Thompson, a Grade 11 student at Cayman Interna- tional School, was grateful for the added support. “I would like to thank Cayman Prep and High School for their donation and, in particular, our vol- unteer Jayda Simmonds for arranging this donation,” said Holly. “We’ve already used some of the items in the 19 backpacks we filled for the kids that arrived last week.” For more information contact Holly Thompson at we.are.impact345@gmail.com. Mason Oelschlager with the bench he designed. The student council with the friendship benches at the unveiling. Cayman Prep and High School students joined Impact 345 members to donate items to young heart patients. Pictured from left are students Sophia Nightingale, Principal Phillip Burgess, Nadia Simmonds, Olivia Plunkett, Jayda Simmonds and Ria Plunket with Britney Dixon, Marika Scotland, Holly Thompson, Janelle Woods and Lana Arch-Jarvis.8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Personal Insurance BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International insurance, health, pensions, life Save up to $400 with home and car insurance Car insurance deductibles from $200 and extra free benefits. With your first BritCay buildings insurance policy you will receive a $250 gift certificate. Home insurance also entitles you to a 10% car insurance discount. With the lowest standard deductibles at $200, you also save when you claim. Ask BritCay for a quote! CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky SAVE $250* when you insure your home! 10% discount on car insurance if you have home insurance Free $500,000 public liability (home insurance) Free $10 million liability protection (car insurance) Interest free monthly payment option cgigrp coverwithoutaddedcosts! $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *$250 BritCay gift certificate applies to new buildings insurance policies only Judge: Knife crimes in Cayman ‘worryingly prevalent’ CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A card game that erupted into violence led to a jail sentence of five and a half years for one of the players on Friday. Orlando Anthony Graham, 34, was found guilty by a jury of wounding with intent after he stabbed a man at the card game. While passing sentence Friday, Justice Michael Met- tyear, expressed concern that knife crimes in Cayman were “worryingly prevalent.” In the case before him, both the defendant and the victim claimed they were carrying knives for their own protection. The judge said this was a familiar and “pa- thetic” excuse. Anyone who needs a knife for protection is mixing with the wrong people, going to the wrong places, or doing the wrong things, he remarked. Graham and the victim had been good friends, he noted; they were fellow coun- trymen from Jamaica and were in contact every day. The incident that led to the stabbing started on Sunday, Jan. 10, when Graham, the victim and two other men were playing cards. The playing continued into the early hours of the next day. An argument broke out between Graham and the victim about the game. In his evidence to the jury, the victim admitted drawing his knife first. Justice Mettyear said he accepted evidence that Graham immediately fol- lowed by drawing his knife. The argument continued with Graham claiming he was owed money from the stake. The host paid him the money. The victim put his knife away and started to leave. As he walked away, Graham stabbed him, cutting the lower chamber of his heart. “It could have killed him,” the judge said. Thanks to skilled medical treatment, the victim made a full recovery from the attack, the court heard. The men continued to see each other on a daily basis and there had been no fur- ther trouble between them, the judge noted in his sen- tencing remarks. “I don’t imagine for one moment that the defendant intended to stab someone that night,” Justice Mettyear acknowledged. But, he con- tinued, when an argument starts and someone is car- rying a knife, it will be easy to draw it and use it. He accepted defense at- torney Prathna Bodden’s plea in mitigation: that there was a degree of provocation be- cause the victim had drawn his knife first [but then put it away]; that the stabbing was not planned; that it was a single blow rather than a sustained attack. The judge also referred to the precedent brought to his attention by Crown counsel Neil Kumar, who was the trial prosector. Given the degree of harm caused and the level of culpability, the sentencing starting point was six years, with a range of five to nine years. Justice Mettyear deter- mined that six years was the appropriate sentence, but gave half credit for the time Graham had spent in custody and the approximate nine months the defendant had been wearing an electronic monitor and was subject to a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. To round out the time, the judge arrived at a sentence of five-and-a-half years, em- phasizing that time Graham spent on remand should not count because the judge had already considered it in his calculations. Anyone who needs a knife for protection is mixing with the wrong people, going to the wrong places, or doing the wrong things, the judge remarked. CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Following a brief trial by judge alone, Canute Sebas- tian Nairne was found not guilty Friday of conspiracy to import cocaine. Nairne had been accused of conspiring with Alex- ander Adrian Ebanks and others between Aug. 6 and Sept. 28, 2015, to import one kilo of cocaine into the Cayman Islands. Ebanks pleaded guilty last month to a variety of drug-re- lated charges, including con- spiracy to supply; he received a sentence of six and a half years. One of his concurrent sentences was four years for conspiracy to import cocaine. The maximum sentence for conspiracy is 10 years. There was no proof that the impor- tation ever occurred. In delivering the ver- dict, Justice Michael Mett- year said, “Do I think he was probably involved in illegal drug activity? Yes. Am I sure that he was part of the spe- cific conspiracy alleged in the indictment? No.” He noted that the defen- dant had no previous convic- tions, did not give evidence and did not challenge any of the Crown’s evidence during the trial. That evidence was in the form of text messages between Nairne and Ebanks. Crown counsel Eleanor Fargin had called two expert witnesses, one of whom was a U.S. federal agent who de- scribed certain words and phrases in the text messages as being well-known in the drug trade. The agent told the court, for example, that “T-shirt” was very common slang for cocaine. Defense attorney Guy Dil- liway-Parry argued that the texts may have shown an in- terest in the drug trade, but fell well short of proving any involvement. For example, a text sent by Ebanks to Nairne men- tioned a package wrapped in bicycle tube material. The defendant replied, “Yeah, that’s how they do it ….” In another exchange, the two men sent messages concerning other people finding drugs that had washed ashore and they be- moaned the fact that they never had such luck. Justice Mettyear referred to a photograph of a rectangular object said to contain cocaine. At first, it seemed compelling evidence because Ebanks had sent the photo to Nairne. How- ever, it was then learned that Ebanks also sent the picture to another person who was not part of the conspiracy. Justice Mettyear said the mere fact that Nairne was discussing something did not mean he was part of it, and the charge was dismissed. A number of people have been charged with conspiring with Alexander Ebanks to supply controlled drugs on various dates in 2015. Two of these defendants are sched- uled to appear in Grand Court on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Not guilty verdict in cocaine conspiracy trialThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 FREE 30 day Guarantee with your vehicle from Trust Company Ltd.! Need parts, alloy rims and accessories? Visit our online parts shop parts.japanesevehicles.com Trust Company Ltd., Nagoya JAPAN +81-52-219-9024 | sales@japanesevehicles.com Authorised Agent for Trust Company Ltd. py Call now to book your free consultation: 345 525 4305 345 916 4011 Foster’s Airport Centre, 63 Dorcy Drive | cayman@japanesevehicles.com Cayman’s ‘boys in blue’ going gray? range, while some 23 percent were between ages 50-59. The relative proportion of older RCIPS officers is not of great concern to the force’s senior commanders, but the spare few younger officers is a worry, according to of- ficials, especially as the de- partment considers who will be leading it in years to come. “As has been the case in most jurisdictions, recruit- ment can be a challenging process as young people now have more options, often lucrative ones, avail- able to them than ever be- fore,” Acting RCIPS Commis- sioner Anthony Ennis said. “[Those options] present less risks and favorable rewards or incentives.” “It takes a very unique person to become a police officer and commit to it for the long haul,” the senior of- ficer continued. “Selfless ser- vice is required, even in the face of danger and an anti- police climate.” Mr. Ennis said the po- lice service was recruiting younger, local candidates and had done so success- fully with cadet classes for Caymanians and permanent residents in each of the past three years. In the current budget year, the police ser- vice is seeking funding for two local recruit classes. However, local recruitment efforts have never really man- aged to keep up with attrition and the RCIPS is still being forced to go outside the terri- tory to bring in experienced, often older officers, mostly from the U.K., Jamaica or other Commonwealth coun- tries. Officers from 15 dif- ferent countries now serve in the local police and about 32 percent of serving RCIPS offi- cers are Jamaican. “We have been working hard to reach these young people and communicate how rewarding a career in policing can be,” Mr. Ennis said. “[In addition to the local recruitment classes], we re- cently engaged in a joint job fair with both the fire ser- vice and the prison service to expand efforts in this regard and reach as many job seekers as possible. How- ever, this remains a challenge as we compete with other oc- cupations that provide better financial rewards and work- life balance, especially with raising a family.” The RCIPS website adver- tises police constable recruits’ starting pay at between $32,000 and $44,000 per year. If the recruits stay on through their two-year probationary period, the salary band in- creases to between $39,000 and $53,436 per year. The police service, at- tempting to retain more offi- cers and recruit new ones, re- cently negotiated a pay raise for officers with government, but former Police Commis- sioner David Baines said that increase had been effected by moving money around within the existing budget, not through an overall spending increase for police. As Mr. Ennis noted, police agencies around the globe have been experiencing prob- lems with recruiting younger officers. For instance, statis- tics reported in the British press showed the number of younger officers (age 26 and under) had dropped by nearly half across the U.K. between 2009 and 2012. The city of Minneapolis in the U.S. reported in 2012 that 64 percent of its po- lice officers were 40 or older and that pending retirements of older police officers could place the police force there in a staffing crunch. Age just a number? Typically, more experienced officers who are brought in from outside jurisdictions, particularly those placed in specialist roles, are paid more for that experience and RCIPS officials said they did not want to downplay the im- portance of having a number of older, and perhaps wiser heads on the force as well. “Maturity and experience is very much an asset for to- day’s police officer, given the diverse roles and situations that officers are increas- ingly expected to perform and manage, as well as the level of expertise and educa- tion required,” Mr. Ennis said. “Also, we do not subscribe to age discrimination either, provided that the individual passes the fitness tests re- quired, is healthy and under- stands his or her work as a police officer.” Certain jobs at RCIPS re- quire a higher level of phys- ical fitness than others. For instance, those police officers in the armed units or tactical response have stricter fitness requirements. But the depart- ment said all officers are “en- couraged” to stay minimally fit. Having older and better- educated officers “on the beat” isn’t necessarily a bad thing, according to a 2008 study done by retired police officer James McElvain and Augus- tine Kposowa of the Univer- sity of California, Riverside. According to an abstract of the study: “Data from 186 officer-involved shoot- ings were used to examine whether race effects existed and, if so, would be elimi- nated or attenuated by con- trolling for officer gender, ed- ucation, age, and history of shooting. College-educated officers were less likely to be involved in shootings than officers with no college ed- ucation. Risk of officer-in- volved shooting was reduced as the officer aged.” Leadership ‘crisis’ In an article printed this month in the U.S.-based Po- lice Chief Magazine, Cali- fornia police Captain James P. Henchey considers the issue of aging police forces to be one of planning, which, he opined, many police forces do not do very well. Mr. Henchey states his belief that it will be a potential leadership crisis, rather than a staffing crisis, that police departments face in the future. “Traditionally, law en- forcement has left career planning to the individual,” he wrote. “Assumptions are made that there will be suc- cession in leadership to those who aspire to promote. Law enforcement organizations have, for the most part, ab- dicated the responsibility of leadership skill development to off-site trainers or the in- dividual officer. “Individual police agen- cies must do a better job of providing structured career development programs for future leaders. Historically, law enforcement organiza- tions focus well on the task of serving their respective communities but tend to ne- glect internal personnel de- velopment needs due to lo- gistical or budgetary reasons. As a result, police organiza- tions risk promoting weak or inexperienced leaders.” The RCIPS noted it has initiated a development scheme for local officers to accomplish just the type of leadership training Captain Henchey wrote about. “The High Potential De- velopment Scheme was intro- duced to provide promising Caymanian constables ad- ditional opportunities to de- velop leadership skills and ex- perience, and be considered for expedited promotion for exceptional candidates,” an RCIPS statement indicated, adding that one officer, In- spector Leo Anglin of the Ma- rine Unit, had been identified as one such candidate. “These recruitment drives and initia- tives provide regular oppor- tunities to apply, as well as accelerated advancement spe- cifically for Caymanians.” The records reveal that out of 365 uniformed officers just 17 (4.7 percent) were between ages 18-28 at the time the statistics were tallied last month. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service recruits at their graduation parade in 2015. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY FUEL TANKER CONTINUES TO BURN OFF MEXICO’S GULF COAST MEXICO CITY (AP) – A fuel tanker continued to burn off the Gulf coast of Mexico on Sunday, a day after it erupted in flames. Firefighting boats were battling the blaze aboard the Burgos, which is owned by state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. A large plume of smoke from the burning ship could be seen from the port of Veracruz. Firefighters have been using a chemical extinguisher against the fire, according to the Veracruz Port Authority. They declined to speculate late Saturday on when the fire may be put out. Mexico’s environmental pro- tection agency, Profepa, said Sunday in a statement that a mile of containment booms were deployed to prevent any fuel from reaching the coast. Pemex said fuel seen on the water was what mixed with the water used to fight the fire and will dissipate. The Burgos was carrying about 168,000 barrels of gas- oline and diesel. The ship was about 7 miles off the coast when it called for help at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. All crew members were rescued without injury. At the time of the incident, the Burgos was sailing from Coatzacoalcos in eastern Ve- racruz state to the Pemex ter- minal, Port Authority Director Juan Ignacio Fernandez said late Saturday. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >