ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 High of 83 Low of 77 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE RECKLESS RHETORIC OF ARDEN AND WINSTON’S PRIVATE MEMBERS’ MOTION SPORTS | PAGE 15 JUNIOR GOLFERS FARE WELL AT BAHAMAS TOURNAMENT RED BAY SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA Police: Break-ins down, gun crimes up BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service recorded a de- crease in burglaries during 2016, but an increase in gun crimes for the year has the depart- ment concerned. According to crime statistics, burglaries fell from 652 reported in 2015 to 440 reported last year, a drop of 33 percent. Attempted burglaries also fell by 44 percent during the same period. The RCIPS reacted cautiously to the drop in the numbers. “It is our position that 440 burglaries on these islands in the course of one year are still too many,” an RCIPS statement indicated. “Those who have had their homes or businesses bur- gled in 2016 will not be encour- aged by these lower numbers.” Police said some 222 people were arrested for burglary of- fenses during 2015-2016 and those who served lengthy SYED DENIES LYING TO AUDITORS ABOUT TRAVEL EXPENSES JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Hassan Syed, the former president of the University College of the Cayman Islands, insisted Friday that he had not instructed the college’s accountant to lie to the auditor general’s office about his travel expenses. Syed acknowledged he had emailed the accountant, telling him to inform auditors that all travel and hotel bills on the college credit card statements were work related. He also accepted he had used the Cayman arts and culture shine at Red Sky at Night KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A fusion of Caymanian tastes, sights and sounds came together Saturday eve- ning during Red Sky at Night, part of the fifth annual fes- tival of the Cayman National Culture Foundation. The final evening of Cay- fest, a nine-day cultural celebration, showed off local performing and visual artists across five stages and an ar- tisan walk that offered a vi- sual treat at the F.J. Harquail Cultural Centre. Stands of local foods, and workshops on Caymanian crafts such as catboat making and thatch plaiting, added to a well-rounded program that engaged all of the senses. Speaking atop the cen- ter’s outdoor, second-level stage, emcee Rita Esteva- novich described the evening as “ideal for those who know Cayman and are getting to know Cayman.” Intermittent rain disrupted outside activities, forcing at- tendees to seek refuge inside the theater, where a program Cayman Folk Singers perform inside the Harquail Theatre during Saturday’s Red Sky at Night. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Some festival-goers were prepared for the intermittent rain throughout the evening. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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. - MONDAY - THE GREAT WALL 3D (PG13) 12:35 | 3:55 2D | 7:00 | 9:45 2D XXX: RETURN OF THE (PG13) XANDER CAGE 3D 4:00 | 10:00 RINGS (PG13) 12:45 | 3:45 | 7:05 | 9:50 THE SPACE BETWEEN US (PG) 12:40 | 3:40 | 6:50 | 9:40 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (R) 12:55 | 3:50 | 7:10 | 9:55 LEGO BATMAN (PG) 12:30 | 7:15 Orchid enthusiasts search for rare blooms at show KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unique and difficult-to- find orchids went on dis- play at the Queen Eliza- beth II Botanic Park over the weekend during the Cayman Islands Orchid Society’s an- nual signature event. The “Orchid Extrava- ganza” brought in flowers from Florida, Hawaii and Jamaica to offer gar- deners a variety of choices not typically available at local nurseries. A steady crowd brought hundreds of amateur to ex- pert gardeners to the East End park on Saturday and Sunday. Guests were treated to an indoor display of or- chids grown by society members and an outdoor barbecue that accompanied orchid care presentations. Local orchid expert Kirk- land Nixon offered his in- sight on growing what he said can often be a frus- trating but rewarding flower. “I’ve killed a lot of them,” he joked after an orchid care demonstration at the park’s visitors center. He said his orchid ob- session took root after his wife came home with some blooms from a trip to Ja- maica in the early 1980s. He now has a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse where he grows the flowers alongside fruit and vegetable crops. “When orchids bloom, all others pale in compar- ison,” he said. Mr. Kirkland gave basic orchid care tips, explaining that the flowers prefer shady areas away from air con- ditioning. He said some common mistakes with or- chids are over-watering and putting the flowers in overly large containers. “You don’t get bigger or- chids by putting them in bigger pots,” he said. For those interested in learning more about growing orchids, society president Helen Hislop sug- gested joining the group and attending their monthly meetings, held on the second Saturday of the month. She said the annual sale drives new members to sign up. While the sale is held in late February, Ms. Hislop suggested visiting the park in May or June to see local orchids blossoming along the park’s orchid walk. The wooden walk is slated as one of the projects to benefit from the week- end’s ticket sales. Ms. Hislop said the walk is in good con- dition but could use repairs. The event’s sales are shared between the society and the botanic park. Society volunteer Anita Hartwell walked guests through the indoor orchid display. She considers her- self an orchid amateur but has already developed a large home garden. “You start one by one and then you get addicted,” Ms. Hartwell said. She did not have any or- chids on display, explaining that the blooms can be un- predictable and hard to coordinate with the show. Mr. Kirkland said the same of his blooms. He thought there were fewer blooms at the show than in the past, and added that even for the best growers, timing with orchids can be tricky. Red Cross raffles trip to Miami The Cayman Is- lands Red Cross is raf- fling a weekend at the Crown Plaza in Miami. The grand prize includes two Cayman Airways tickets and two nights at the hotel at the Miami Interna- tional Airport. Other prizes in- clude a two-night stayca- tion at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, a Sam- sung LTE tablet from FLOW, and dinner for six at Lobster Pot. Raffle tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at locations across Grand Cayman every Saturday until the ticket drawing on May 31. Locations in- clude Foster’s at the Strand and at Countryside, Sa- vannah, on Feb. 25; Foster’s at the Strand on March 4; Foster’s Countryside and Cost-U-Less on March 11; Cost-U-Less and Hurley’s on March 18; and Foster’s at the Strand and Airport Center on March 25. For a full list of locations in April and May, contact the Red Cross at rcm@redcross.org.ky. Flava winner’s prize a brunch a month Yental McGaw, center, is the winner of a Flava magazine competition, with a prize of a brunch a month for four people for a year at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort. Ms. McGaw, pictured with the Marriott’s director of restaurants and bars, Daniel Herrmann, and Flava senior sales representative Christina Pantelidis, wins $4,000 worth of meals at the resort’s Boulangerie Brunch at Anchor & Den. Lorena Grizzel and Avy Jackson attend the orchid show every year to find rare blooms. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Monique Bush attends the orchid show with her aunt every year. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Kirkland Nixon provides orchid-growing tips at the Cayman Islands Orchid Society’s annual sale. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 7th Annual Scotiabank Golf Tournament Friday, 10 March, 2017 North Sound Golf Club Shot-gun start 12:30pm CI$600 per team You won’t want to miss it! More prizes, more games, more holes in one! All proceeds go to the Special Needs Foundation of Cayman. To become a sponsor or enter a team please contact: Jennifer O’Leary at jennifer.oleary@scotiabank.com or call 815 4313. Mental-health facility details unveiled TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s first residen- tial mental health facility will comprise nine cottages with six beds each and an administrative building on the former Northward prison farm site on 15 acres in East End, officials revealed Friday, adding that construction on the first seven cottages could start as early as the end of the year. Costs to build, fit out and open the facility are pegged between $10 million and $15 million, with operating costs estimated at $1 million an- nually, said officials, who are looking toward and early 2019 opening. Ministry of Health Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn said Friday the as-yet-un- named facility would be “on a parcel of Crown land in the East End interior on ap- proximately 10 to 15 acres of land,” and would “comprise nine cottages, each having six inpatient beds, plus an ad- ministrative building.” “The estimated size of the cottages and the administra- tive building is 47,000 square feet,” she said, and would accommodate “the chroni- cally mentally or the severe mentally ill … i.e., persons who have serious and persis- tent mental illness requiring care in a holistic, safe and secure environment using a therapeutic approach.” Government has for years pondered the need for long- term mental-health facilities. To date, the only option has been eight Cayman Islands Hospital beds, intended for short-term stabilization of acute cases. Longer-term care has been either at Northward Prison or a Jamaica-based residential home. As many as 15 Cayman patients are in long-term care in the U.S. or Jamaica, pri- marily Bellevue Hospital – some for as long as two de- cades – at an annual cost of $630,000. Between 12 and 15 more are either at home or at the Cayman Islands Hospital, and between six and 12 more are housed at Northward. “The initial phase is to construct the seven cottages for local requirements (non- medical tourism) first,” Ms. Ahearn said. “The proposed time line is for construction to take approximately 16 months once initiated. “At this point in time, we are finalizing the contract for the design and construction costing of the project, and once we have the design and projected construction cost, we will need to seek funding from Cabinet for the con- struction of the facility.” Dr. Marc Lockhart, chairman of Cayman’s Mental Health Commission and long- time advocate for a local long-term facility, acknowl- edged that years of effort had yielded only modest re- sults, but said this is the long- overdue breakthrough. “This has been my pas- sion for 16 years,” he said. “The community has needed a long-term facility,” not least “to bring people back home to the Cayman Islands.” The glacial pace had been frustrating, but slowly, par- ticularly in the last five or six years, he said, “a ground- swell has galvanized people and started to resonate in the community.” Both the Ministry of Health and KPMG consultants had drafted strategic outline and business cases. “Last year, we met with Cabinet and a budget was approved,” com- plying with the U.K.’s 2011 Framework for Fiscal Respon- sibility, demanding trans- parent tendering and value- for-money justifications. “This all slowed the pro- cess,” Dr. Lockhart said, “but now we are into the final stages of the FFR process after two years. We have chosen an architect and a con- sultant for costing and design and are in the last stages to find a contractor to build it.” He rejected suggestions that government sought po- litical advantage ahead of the May 24 election, saying, “No, this has been ongoing since last summer’s outline business case. “We had to make sure bid- ders were properly composed in terms of employment, Cay- manian participation, and had the right structure. In some cases, we had to go back and they had to reapply. We were only able to complete the vet- ting process in January. We had to submit and resubmit financing plans,” he said. Ms. Ahearn detailed five aims for the facility: To estab- lish … a therapeutic setting providing counseling, psychi- atric care and management, vocational, educational and social skills training; to sup- port and develop independent living skills, allowing patients to rebuild their lives through the development of new em- ployment skills to enable them to return to a functional level through various means; to create an environment in which patients are close to their family and friends, re- maining in the community, thus enhancing their social structure and quality of life; to achieve optimal outcomes while at the same time real- izing significant operational cost savings; and to allow for adequate clinical over- sight of patients, increasing chances of positive long- term outcomes.” Dr. Lockhart said the East End farm – formerly cul- tivated by Northward in- mates but abandoned after the March 2009 murder of 21-year-old Sabrina Schirn by prisoner Randy Martin – would enable rehabilitation in a quiet environment, distant from neighborhoods. “It will offer occupa- tional therapy, gardening, small-animal care, wood- working, education, a bakery, a gift shop,” Dr. Lockhart said. Construction and oper- ating costs might pay for themselves, he said, indi- cating beds could be allocated for medical tourism, and costs eliminated for overseas boarding and treatment of Cayman patients. Nor would the project require full bud- geting all at once. “We are also looking for private sector involve- ment,” he said. “It would also free up fa- cilities at the Cayman Islands Hospital and make more beds available for children and outpatients.” Staff would comprise one or two full-time nurses and a doctor on selected weekdays. “This is the farthest along we‘ve ever been,” Dr. Lockhart said, “and with the FFR ap- proval, we are farther along than other projects like the [cruise-ship] port or the dump.” Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed in the Legislative Assembly on Friday that a site had been identified for a long- term mental health facility and that government would “soon” be awarding a contract for the design and construc- tion cost consultancy fees for the project. Dr. Marc Lockhart Interviewers from the Eco- nomics and Statistics Office will be visiting households throughout the Cayman Is- lands over the next month, be- ginning Sunday, March 5, as part of a labor force survey. According to the statis- tics office, the survey seeks to collect data on employed and unemployed people in the Cayman Islands, as well as those who are not in the labor force. The last publicly available labor force report, from spring 2016, showed the there were 41,825 individuals in the labor force at that time, of whom 40,213 were employed; 1,612 were unemployed. The unem- ployment rate at that time was estimated at 3.9 percent, the lowest since the 3.0 percent re- corded in 2007. Interviewers from the Eco- nomics and Statistics Office will visit 1,392 randomly se- lected sample households in the three islands over a four- week period. The question- naire will be administered using electronic tablets. In a statement, the Eco- nomics and Statistics Office said, “Once again, the ESO appeals to the public to give its full cooperation to the in- terviewers and to provide the necessary information, which will be collected under the Sta- tistics Law (2016 Revision). “The interviews are confi- dential, and no individual data will be used for publication or disclosed to parties outside of the ESO. ESO survey data from individuals are exempt from Freedom of Informa- tion requests.” For more information, contact the Economics & Statistics Office at 516- 3329 or 949-0940 or visit www.eso.ky. LABOR FORCE SURVEY BEGINS ON MARCH 5 BOAT STOLEN FROM GOVERNOR’S SOUND Police are appealing to the public to help track down a boat stolen from its secured anchorage inside Governor’s Sound. The boat had been an- chored near mangroves in the vicinity of the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, police said. It was discovered missing around 11 a.m. Thursday and was last seen around 6 p.m. the evening before. The boat, named Sea Star, is a white, 27-foot center console, with a torn Bimini brown top laid down in the vessel. Anyone with information to call the Joint Marine Unit at 649-7710. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777 or via Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). The Sea Star was stolen from its anchorage at Governor’s Sound sometime between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. Thursday, police said.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – 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. MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS WASHINGTON – At the heart of Donald Trump’s foreign policy team lies a glaring con- tradiction. On the one hand, it is composed of men of experi- ence, judgment and tradition- alism. Meaning, they are all very much within the param- eters of mainstream American internationalism as practiced since 1945. Practically every member of the team – the heads of State, Homeland Se- curity, the CIA, and most espe- cially Defense Secretary James Mattis and national security adviser H.R. McMaster could fit in a Cabinet put together by, say, Hillary Clinton. The commander in chief, on the other hand, is quite the op- posite – inexperienced, untra- ditional, unbounded. His pro- nouncements on everything from the “one China” policy to the two-state (Arab-Israeli) solution, from NATO obsoles- cence to the ravages of free trade, continue to confound and, as we say today, disrupt. The obvious question is: Can this arrangement possibly work? The answer thus far, surprisingly, is: perhaps. The sample size is tiny but take, for example, the German excursion. Trump dispatched his grown-ups – Vice Presi- dent Pence, Defense Secretary Mattis, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and Sec- retary of State Rex Tillerson – to various international con- fabs in Germany to reassure allies with the usual pieties about America’s commitment to European security. They did drop a few hints to Trump’s loud complaints about al- lied parasitism, in particular shirking their share of the defense burden. Within days, Germany an- nounced a 20,000-man expan- sion of its military. Smaller European countries are likely to take note of the new setup. It’s classic good-cop, bad-cop: The secretaries represent for- eign policy continuity but their boss preaches America First. Message: Shape up. John Hannah of the Foun- dation for Defense of Democ- racies suggests that the push- pull effect might work on foes as well as friends. Last Sat- urday, China announced a cutoff of all coal imports from North Korea for the rest of 2017. Constituting more than one-third of all North Korean exports, this is a major blow to its economy. True, part of the reason could be Chinese ire at the brazen assassination of Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, who had been under Chinese pro- tection. Nonetheless, the boy- cott was declared just days after a provocative North Ko- rean missile launch – and shortly into the term of a new American president who has shown that he can be erratic and quite disdainful of Chi- nese sensibilities. His wavering on the “one China” policy took Beijing by surprise. Trump also strongly denounced Chinese expan- sion in the South China Sea and conducted an ostentatious love-in with Japan’s prime minister, something guaran- teed to rankle the Chinese. Bei- jing’s boycott of Pyongyang is many things, among them a nod to Washington. This suggests that the pe- culiar and discordant makeup of the U.S. national security team – traditionalist lieuten- ants, disruptive boss – might reproduce the old Nixonian “Madman Theory.” That’s when adversaries tread carefully be- cause they suspect the U.S. president of being unpredict- able, occasionally reckless and potentially crazy dangerous. Henry Kissinger, with Nixon’s collaboration, tried more than once to exploit this perception to pressure adversaries. Trump’s people have already shown a delicate touch in dealing with his bouts of loopiness. Trump has gone on for years about how we should have taken Iraq’s oil for our- selves. Sunday in Baghdad, Mattis wryly backed off, telling his hosts that “All of us in America have generally paid for our gas and oil all along, and I am sure we will continue to do so in the future.” Yet sometimes an off- center comment can have its uses. Take Trump’s casual dismissal of a U.S. commit- ment to a two-state solution in the Middle East. The next day, U.S. policy was brought back in line by his own U.N. ambassador. But this diver- sion might prove salutary. It’s a message to the Palestin- ians that their decades of re- jectionism may not continue to pay off with an inexorable march toward statehood – that there may actually be a price to pay for making no conces- sions and simply waiting for the U.S. to deliver them a Pal- estinian state. To be sure, a two-track, two-policy, two-reality foreign policy is risky, unsettling and has the potential to go totally off the rails. This is not how you would draw it up in ad- vance. It’s unstable and con- fusing. But the experience of the first month suggests that with prudence and luck, it can yield the occasional benefit – that the combina- tion of radical rhetoric and conventional policy may in- duce better behavior both in friend and foe. Alas, there is also a worst-case scenario. It needs no elaboration. Charles Krauthammer’s email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. © 2017, The Washington Post Writers Group Clad in the mantle of protectionism of Caymanians, the private members’ motion by MLAs Arden McLean and Winston Connolly accuses our country’s largest law firms of conspiracy and criminality. It is a broad- side assault on the financial services sector, economy and community of the Cayman Islands. Such motions, thankfully, carry no official weight. However, the mere existence of the allegations, and the publicity surrounding them, pose a significant threat to our country’s international relations and rep- utation. Simply put: This motion is dangerous. What is more disappointing than the motion itself, perhaps, are the apparent motivations of the law- makers who are proposing it. We believe Messrs. McLean and Connolly under- stand fully how incendiary their accusations are. In brief, their motion alleges that Cayman law firms “are and have been for a number of years intentionally ignoring and deliberately circumventing” sections of the Legal Practitioners Law and Immigration Law in regard to the practice of Cayman law from overseas and the promotion of local lawyers to positions of part- nership. In addition, the motion alleges, partners and principals in those law firms have conspired to thwart those laws. We pose the following question: If Messrs. McLean and Connolly are so certain that our law firms – and their partners – are committing crimes, why did they bring their accusations to the Legislative Assembly – rather than to the police? To our knowledge, there has never been a single complaint to law enforcement by these two legislators, or any other legislators, or, for that matter, anyone else, that Cayman’s law firms were breaking the law. If such invective appeared in a performance of the annual “Rundown” comedy revue, we might consider it a bit over the top. But to broach this as a serious matter for discussion on the floor of the Legislative Assembly is irresponsible, contemptible and – up until we read the motion ourselves – utterly unthinkable. This motion may have been born out of frustra- tion – but certainly not naiveté. Mr. Connolly was a practicing attorney and funds director before entering office in 2013. The motion he seconded appears to be nothing more, or less, than an attempted political kamikaze attack into the hull of the HMS Cayman. (It must not go without noting that both members enjoy the special power of “parliamentary privilege” which shields them from legal actions for libel and defamation.) Regarding the underlying legislation – the Legal Practitioners Bill – the Compass has not taken an edi- torial position. For years the bill has marinated, been cooked and recooked, and the final version has not yet been made public. It is not to Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton’s credit that the bill is still being tinkered with at this late date. However, compared with the fundamental iniquity of the independent members’ action, our quibble with Minister Panton is immaterial. In addition to their “let it burn” approach to Cayman’s general economy, Messrs. McLean and Connolly have overstepped the boundaries of leg- islative decency and decorum by accusing Minister Panton – who is a former managing partner of Walkers law firm (from which he retired in 2011) – of having a personal conflict of interest in championing revised regulation of the legal industry. Minister Panton responded to the personal besmirchment and the substance of the motion in measured and admirable fashion. He said, “These two MLAs are not only wrong in law, but wrong in principle as well. Their actions are grossly irresponsible when international perception is critical to our continued success as a country. “This motion is an attack on our financial services industry and an example of personal political agendas being placed ahead of the interests of thousands of Caymanians in the industry and, in fact, given the sig- nificance to our economy, the interests of the country as a whole.” Well said, Minister Panton. If this motion makes it to the House floor for debate (it needs to be withdrawn forthwith), we would hope and expect to hear a near- identical refrain of condemnation from the remainder of the Legislative Assembly, universally. The reckless rhetoric of Arden and Winston’s private members’ motion Trump and the ‘Madman Theory’ Charles KrauthammerKrauthammer 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 find their own way”5 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 Please be advised that Pinnacle Media Group will be publishing on Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 For more information call 949-5111 or email sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION DEADLINE Wednesday, March 1st Thursday, February 23rd Thursday, March 2nd Monday, February 27th Friday, March 3rd Monday, February 27th RCIPS commissioner: Police assaults highlight community relations problem BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Stating that the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service “will not abide” attacks on po- lice officers, Police Commis- sioner Derek Byrne said Friday that the problem of officers being assaulted while doing their jobs can be addressed by community policing and re- building relationships. “Police officers are mem- bers of the community who are asked to go out and police that community,” Mr. Byrne said. “I’m seeing a lot of ag- gression, a lot of abuse [to- ward those officers]. “I read of machetes being produced towards officers, struggles taking place, one of- ficer with his teeth broken in a traffic stop. These [officers] are the frontline defense coming to assist members of our commu- nity. We must challenge that fundamental relationship.” A report compiled by the RCIPS noted “several inci- dents” recently in which po- lice officers have been attacked “simply trying to execute their duties.” Three incidents occurred over one weekend in January in which police officers were attacked or suffered injury while making arrests. The as- saults followed a December at- tack on the head of the RCIPS traffic unit at a roadblock. Two of the police inspector’s teeth were broken in the attack. A statement from the police high command released Friday noted: “We will not abide such attacks on officers and each and every incident will be in- vestigated and prosecuted. Those who attack or abuse po- lice officers who are carrying out their duties endanger the safety of the community as a whole and this cannot be tolerated.” ‘Not fully broke’ Commissioner Byrne said he believes community po- licing can be revitalized. “It’s not fully broke, we can fix and we will fix it,” Mr. Byrne said. RCIPS Superintendent Robert Graham also noted that community policing is a “top priority” and that offi- cers are focusing mainly on youth involvement, through the skate-park initiative and on the “nighttime economy,” in- cluding liquor licensed prem- ises, among other methods. Mr. Byrne said there are other areas the police service could address with the sup- port of legislators, who are considering updates to police- related laws in Cayman during the current Legislative As- sembly meeting. “I welcome the idea of an ombudsman or a complaints commission to deal with com- plaints against police officers,” Mr. Byrne said. “This will im- prove and enhance community confidence in the police.” In addition, the Police Law will be amended to allow the commissioner the ability to fire officers who have been convicted of a crime. Questions were raised in December when three police officers received paid suspen- sions following separate con- victions for either common assault or assault causing ac- tual bodily harm. The officers, Austin Eti- enne, Cardiff Robinson and Michael Peart, are suspended with pay pending internal hearings on their cases that will determine any disci- plinary action, according to police officials. The Police Law amendment proposed by lawmakers would require the commission to fire officers who are convicted. The officers may be rehired if they are cleared on appeal. Mr. Byrne said he likes the idea, but thinks the commissioner could be given a bit more flex- ibility in the proposal. Crime statistics Another way police can better communicate with the community is via their semiannual reporting of crime statistics, the com- missioner said. Now, Mr. Byrne said, the raw statistics that are pro- duced lack some detail the community might want, and the data could be made “much more user friendly.” For instance, each specific crime is listed only in the ag- gregate for all three Cayman Islands. Mr. Byrne said the police would like to analyze those figures further so that “it would be broken down by policing districts.” Also, for crimes like drug offenses, the information pro- vided can include much more specific areas, like supply, pos- session, seizures and police or customs drug interdictions. “There is capacity to im- prove the way we report crime to make it more meaningful to the community that we serve,” Mr. Byrne said. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne, left, and Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis speak to the press Friday. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLER “Police officers are members of the community who are asked to go out and police that community. I’m seeing a lot of aggression, a lot of abuse [toward those officers].” DEREK BYRNE, police commissioner The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales will speak at the main court building in Grand Cayman this week. Roger John Laugharne Thomas, Lord Thomas of Cw- mgiedd, QC, will speak at 4 p.m. March 2 on “Giving Busi- ness What it Wants – a Well Run Court for Commercial and Business Disputes” as part of the judicial administration’s Distinguished Lecture Series. As the head of the judi- ciary and president of the courts in England and Wales, Lord Thomas is the highest ranking British judge to visit the Cayman Islands. He read law at Trinity Hall in Cambridge and attended the University of Chicago Law School, where he earned a J.D. degree and was a Common- wealth Fellow. He was called to the Bar in 1969 (Gray’s Inn). He became Lord Justice of Appeal in 2003, and served as presi- dent of the Queen’s Bench Divi- sion from 2011-13. He has been Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales since 2013. On March 3, he will attend a private dinner party with Governor Helen Kilpatrick at Government House. The fol- lowing evening, he is sched- uled for a formal dinner with the Caymanian Bar Association and the Cayman Islands Law Society at the Marriott resort in Grand Cayman. Highest ranking British judge to visit Cayman Baron Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the Lord Chief Justice of the United Kingdom PARAGUAYAN REBEL GROUP RELEASES KIDNAPPED MENNONITE MAN ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) – Paraguayan authorities say a Mennonite man walked 12 miles to reach his home in the Rio Verde Colony after being released by a small rebel group that had kid- napped him in July. Franz Wiebe was kid- napped by the Paraguayan People’s Army while he was harvesting corn at a farm about 210 miles north of Asuncion. At the time, his father said the rebels set a 15-day deadline to pay a $700,000 ransom but the family did not have the money. Col. Victor Urdapil- leta, spokesman for Para- guay’s anti-terror force, said Saturday the 18-year-old “was received by his parents and neighbors” in the Mennonite colony “apparently, at first glance, in good shape.” After his July kidnapping, the rebels acknowledged that Wiebe was not their target. They had planned to kidnap the son of the owner of the farm where he worked.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Stella Polaris staff and officers visit George Town In the March 1, 1967 edition of the Cayma- nian Weekly, George Town correspondent Frances Bodden wrote: “Mr. and Mrs. Berkeley Bush enjoyed their visit to Florida with their children including their youngest son Allen who is in the U.S. Navy. “Mr. and Mrs. A. Colin Panton spent a week in Miami with Mrs. Panton looking as chic as always.” Other news in the same issue included: “A pleasant afternoon function was held at Gov- ernment House on the 22nd when three of the officers and the cruise director from the tourist ship Stella Polaris met with a few folk from the island who are concerned with the tourist trade. “Unfortunately Capt. Nilsson, who has been on the ship for 12 years, and his first officer who joined the crew as a boy and now, after 30 years, has reached the top, were unable to come ashore due to the po- sition of the wind and its likely change. “Chief engineer, Sten Bladh, and chief purser, In- gvar Torstenson, both na- tives of Sweden, and cruise director Joe de Barbary from New York were all good company. They told our re- porter that approximately 139 passengers were aboard for each cruise and Grand Cayman was one of the most popular ports of call. “The cruise director, who is responsible for the provi- sion of entertainment for the passengers for the periods at sea, is a talented violinist and charms the tourists with his Gypsy music. “At the conclusion of the brief call, His Honour [the Administrator] pre- sented the chief engineer with a plaque of the Coat of Arms of the islands, a C.I. red ensign for the ship to fly when here and a copy of the new report on the Cayman Islands for the years 1961-65 re- cently published. “It struck our reporter that the officers and the passengers would welcome a longer stay here and maybe the Tourist Board could make representa- tions with this view for the next season.” Also in George Town news on March 1: “The funeral of Mr. George Ballantine Chollette, whose body was brought home from Halifax, Canada, on Wednesday evening, was held in the Elmslie Memorial Church, George Town on the 23rd. “The service was con- ducted by Rev. John Lord, assisted by Pastor F.E. Arch …. for the able bodied seaman of George Town, who died suddenly on board his ship the S.S. Im- perial St. Lawrence on the 13th of this month. “Mr. E.O. Panton gave the obituary as follows … ‘The beautiful floral tributes and the large number of friends and relatives present give evidence of the esteem in which the deceased and has family were held. “‘Ballie’ as he was famil- iarly known by his family and friends was born on the Dec. 24 1923, just 43 years ago. He was the son of Miss Aretta Chol- lette and Mr. Wm. H. Pren- dergrast of New York. He married Lindora Andrews and by their marriage they had one son, George, who is a promising lad and we hope will grow up to be a strong arm on which his mother can lean … “‘Ballie’ was of a quiet, unassuming disposition. He loved his family and we be- lieve he is at rest.’ “As a mark of respect, all the seamen present lined up as the casket passed out of the church. The mortal remains were laid to rest in George Town cemetery.” Adventist Youth forum installs 16 new leaders More than 500 people attended the Youth Fed- eration of the Adventist Conference of Seventh- day Adventists’ ceremony at Kings Church on Feb. 4, when new youth leaders were installed. Under the leadership of President Jodian McLeod and Assistant Presidents Kaneil Barrett and Kristen Reid, the 16 new officers for 2017-2019 will be respon- sible for sports, community service and spiritual devel- opment, among other areas. The Youth Federation, which aims for “Salvation and Service,” is adminis- tered by the newly formed Adventist Youth Federa- tion, which organized the event to recognize youth leadership from the var- ious churches and other youth agencies. “Our future is bright,” said outgoing Youth Fed- eration President Saskia Lewis-Stephenson. “It is so wonderful to see so many young people stepping up to the challenge.” Speakers included youth pastor Henry Vaughan, who presented the new slate of leaders in a brief consecration ceremony, and youth elder Osmond Lynch, who charged young church members to be transformed for service and urged the church community to sup- port the new leaders. “Don’t judge what is on the outside,” he said. “God is working on the inside.” He also encouraged youth to venture out into the com- munity and to strengthen their spiritual core. Twenty-four youth leaders from churches and clubs were recog- nized for their service for 2015-16: Denisha Dracket (“Amplified” Radio Min- istry); Carlene Lawrence (Berea Church); Elizabeth Vallejos (Bethany); Pau- lina (Nancy) Clarke (Bethel); Carla McLaughlin (Bodden Town); Audrey Stephenson (Creek, Cayman Brac); Be- nicia Powell (East End); Wrendon Timothy (Eb- enezer); Michael Rhoden (Ephesus); Deandro Dracket (Filadelfia); Mavis Grant (George Town); Kasey Reid (“Iserv”); Lynette Monteith (Kings); Kevin Miller (Ma- ranatha); Eveteria Solomon (Newlands); Steve Miller (North Side); Kim Miller (Savannah); Emerson Piercy (Solid Rock); Chamayrane Williams (West Bay). Honors also went to Ms. Lewis-Stephenson, Youth Federation secretary Pau- line Greene, Robert Lynch, who served as media group leader, and Shanda Gallego, adviser to the Amplified radio ministry and AY Fed- eration Leader. The evening ended with special recogni- tion of the dedicated ser- vice of Merle Watkins, as- sociate Youth Ministries director and chair of the Youth Federation. PARENTS INVITED TO MATH SESSION A special ses- sion is scheduled for Thursday, March 2, in George Town for par- ents who want to as- sist their children with mathematics lessons and homework. “Maths for Mums and Dads” will be hosted by the Ministry of Education at Pros- pect Primary School Hall. The session starts at 6 p.m. The mathematics session aims to give parents the support and tools they need to better help their chil- dren with their studies, a press release states. Mathematics edu- cator Kara Imm will lead the training ses- sion, at which she will discuss var- ious teaching styles and meaningful ap- proaches that the par- ents can utilize with their children at home. The event is free. For more information on the math session, contact Frank Eade or Kiva Powell at 244-6549. Some of the large corps of Adventist Youth Federation leaders.District Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 Douglas elected Seafarers president JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com John Stanley Douglas, newly elected president of the Cayman Islands Sea- farers Association, prom- ises to make the association even better in the future. “Thank you for your on- going support as we to- gether make these great strides for the future well- being of our association and its members,” he said at the annual election, adding that he wants seamen to be recognized the way they should be in the country. “We are not dead people yet,” he said at the meeting at the Sea- farers Hall in Prospect on Tuesday, Feb. 21. “We need to encourage young Caymanians to join because if we do not bring in ‘new blood,’ we will be- come extinct,” he said. The association’s pri- orities include ongoing campaigns and pledges, such as donating money to other nonprofit orga- nizations, assisting the Health Services Authority, and paying for funeral ex- penses for seamen. It is Mr. Douglas’s fourth time as president of the association, a nonprofit or- ganization established for the benefit of the seamen of the Cayman Islands, their spouses and families. The jovial and enthusi- astic Mr. Douglas, 81, who has been with the asso- ciation for 33 years, has also previously served as secretary and vice president. His career spans 38 years on ships, serving as seaman and promtions up to chief officer. Mr. Douglas highlighted several issues of concern to the group, which include the Seafarers’ healthcare policy document, which had been changed, and the status of the InTouch Health RP-Lite Robot, nick- named “Sally,” which the Seafarers donated to the Cayman Islands Hospital four years ago. He also dis- cussed members taking more active roles and the importance of paying dues. Mr. Douglas said he has launched a website to enable the association to network with such or- ganizations as the Na- tional Maritime Museum in Greenwich, U.K., and UNESCO, which assists nonprofit organizations. Other officers Steve McField was elected vice president; Andrew Eden, secretary; John Ebanks, trea- surer; and Rosemary An- derson, Orman Morgan, Abel Medina, Washington Ebanks, Denniston Tibbetts were elected as members of the governing council. GT Primary recognizes responsibility and readiness George Town Primary School recently held a Pos- itive Behavior Interven- tion and Support awards night recognizing the ef- forts of students. The aim of the frame- work is to promote strate- gies that encourage success, not only behaviorally, but so- cially, emotionally and ac- ademically, a press release states. It involves teaching and re-teaching important social skills, and modeling and rewarding good be- havior to encourage and pro- mote achievement. Organizers said they ware particularly pleased with the more than 81 per- cent parent turnout at the event on Jan. 31. “Parents were informed of the revised school-wide behavior expectations and behavior tracker, and par- ticipated in a question and answer session,” said teacher Dorothy Bodden-Wilson. A highlight of the night was the presentation of awards for students who demonstrated “Great Re- sponsibility” with regard to homework and “Read- iness” with regard to school uniform. Parents were also given a presentation on char- acter building. Outgoing President Owen Farrington, right, congratulates John Douglas. The Seafarers Association’s new governing council, from left, Denniston Tibbetts, Rosemary Anderson, Steve McField, John Douglas, John Ebanks, Andrew Eden, Orman Morgan and Washington Ebanks. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY George the tiger mascot was on hand to lend support. The awards night was well attended by families.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS of local works took the stage. Cayman Islands Folk Signers danced and sang to fiddle music and wore traditional outfits that paid homage to the islands’ heritage. Other theater performers included the Cayman Na- tional Choir and the Ko- alition dance group, which closed the evening of stage performances. On the theater’s out- door stage, festival-goers were treated to pop singer Shameka Clarke, calypso band Lammie and the final act, DJ Philipp Richter. The mix of seasoned and up-and-coming artists on the Thatch Walk featured the is- lands’ diverse and active arts community. Art collective 3 Girls and a Kiln joined the artisan market with ceramic and vi- sual creations that captured Cayman’s island style. “They’re all inspired by living here in Cayman. We really take inspiration from the things around us, from the people to the flora and fauna, and of course the ocean itself. Everything feels like Cayman,” said artist Aimee Randolph. The collective, also in- cluding artists Claire Rohleder and Deborah Kern, has operated in Grand Cayman for four years. First-year vendor Karen Samuels showed the interna- tional inspirations that influ- ence Caymanian arts. Driven to develop her handmade beads and jewelry, Ms. Sam- uels sought out an online tutor in British Columbia to learn her medium. She now has a small jewelry busi- ness, Hands in Heart Artisan Jewelry, and has begun showing at events. “I figured, why not let my hobby finance itself,” she said. Regionally inspired cre- ations included “Kyarrot Jooce” creative learning books by Cayman Prep teacher Kar- lene Buckle. The materials draw on local themes from the Cayman Islands and in alternative versions, Jamaica, to drive student development. Carnival Nationz showed off its costume adaptations for Batabano, with bright and showy designs inspired by Cayman’s banana orchid, blue iguana and parrots. Young artists with Splash of Cayman also shared their handmade wares, including tie-dye bags fashioned from re-purposed pillowcases. Ji- anne Wood said the expe- rience was nerve-wracking but exciting for the Junior Achievement team, sponsored by Cayman Airways. Proceeds from their sales will go to the Cayman Islands Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Shilpa Tagalpallewar of Shilpa’s Natural Henna Tattoo. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Sarah Bush and Jean Solomon of Nolly’s Exquisite Leather Creations Julia Weakley and Aaliyah Bodden of One Bold Bead Collection and Aaliyah’s Candles Junior Achievement members Aneka Campbell, Monique Duarte and Jianne Wood show off their handmade bags. – PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Cayman arts and culture shine at Red Sky at Night CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Country music singer Kingsley Donalds Jr. performs at Red Sky at Night. Geetha Alagirisamy and Catherine Tilk of Creative Inc. Karlene Buckle displays her educational books, ‘Kyaroot Jooce.’ - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 To our precious angel, Shenni Vanessa Pamela Dacosta February 27, 1978 – November 19, 2014 Dearest Shen, Today is your 3rd Birthday in heaven Down here we miss you so Another sad day to get through As on with life we try to go Today is full of memories Happiness and tears of birthday celebrations We’ve shared throughout the years We feel that you are with us In everything we do So we’ll celebrate your birthday But we’ll spend it missing you May the angels hold you close And sing you a happy song We’ll be sending love and wishes Today, and all year long. Dearest Shen, we will never forget you, we love you and miss you so VERY much. Your broken hearted parents, Marlene and Ashton Bodden and all your family. We’ve shared throughout the years We’ll be sending love and wishes We’ve shared throughout the years sentences for the crime were still off the streets. However, a disturbing trend has been noted in late 2016 and early this year, with the break-in numbers on the rise again, police said. The number of serious crimes such as murders, robberies, attempted mur- ders, rapes, assaults and at- tempted rapes stayed about the same from year-to-year. However, there were sig- nificant increases in dis- charges of firearms and possession of unlicensed firearms during the last year. Police made 12 more arrests for firearms posses- sion in 2016 than they did in 2015, and firearms dis- charges went from two re- ports to eight reports. While firearms continue to pose a significant threat, police said, not all of the incidents were due to gang- related violence. “Our investigations in- dicate that a number of firearm and other serious violence come about as a result of personal disputes, especially of a domestic na- ture, that rapidly escalate,” the police statement read. Total violent crimes decreased by 29 percent for the year, mostly be- cause of the sharp drop in burglaries. Overall crime numbers for 2016 increased by about 15 percent, largely due to a reported increase in more minor crimes including theft, damage to property, threatening violence and common assaults. Reports of domestic vi- olence also went up by 82 percent during 2016 com- pared to 2015. Traffic Cayman saw far fewer fatal accidents on local roads during 2016. Six motorists died during 2016 collisions compared to 12 in 2015. Meanwhile, recorded statistics for every single category of traffic offense went up during 2016. Those numbers include a 42 per- cent increase in speeding offenses, a 12 percent in- crease in drunk driving of- fenses and a 49 percent increase in citations for un- licensed driving. card to book multiple personal trips with female friends to Ja- maica, Mexico and Panama. But he rejected prosecutor Patrick Moran’s suggestion that he had been lying in an ef- fort to mislead the auditor gen- eral, who was looking into the college’s finances. “I don’t know what in- formation I had at that time, I don’t remember the con- text,” he said. The auditor general’s in- vestigation into the college’s finances led to a draft report, shown to Syed in April 2007. The former professor, on his fifth day in the wit- ness box during his Grand Court trial, acknowledged that the report highlighted nu- merous concerns over his ac- tions, including the credit card spending. He accepted that he had left the island on a flight to Toronto five days after being presented with the report. But he insisted this was for medical reasons. “You had no intention of returning to the Cayman Is- lands, did you?” prosecutor Pat- rick Moran asked. “At that time, I did not know what was going to happen,” said Syed. He acknowledged he had emptied his Cayman bank ac- counts of all but $800, but said that did not mean he intended to leave for good. He said he had resigned in May for health reasons. Syed also denied presenting the auditors with a fake credit card policy during their inves- tigation in an effort to explain the spending. Shown the document, which indicated multiple UCCI staff could use the card for various expenses, including gifts for visiting dignitaries, he said he was not the author. He accepted that the elec- tronic record of the document showed it had been prepared by someone with the user- name HSyed, but insisted, “I don’t know where this docu- ment came from.” Syed was questioned Friday about more than US$400,000 of spending on his univer- sity credit card during his 20 months as president. He is charged with theft of more than US$200,000 from UCCI in relation to around half of that expenditure, which pros- ecutors allege was for personal use. He also faces 11 other charges connected to his use of college funds. Syed has accepted that multiple transactions, in- cluding holidays, meals and gifts of jewelry for his girl- friend, were personal. But he has testified that an arrange- ment was in place for him to use the card for personal ex- penses and for the college’s ac- countant, Khemkaran Singh, to seek reimbursement. He said he believed Mr. Singh could access the credit card statements and make deductions from his salary, as necessary. Under questioning from Mr. Moran on Friday, Syed ac- knowledged that the accoun- tant had emailed him in May 2007 asking him to account for around US$90,000 spending on the college card, US$40,000 of which the Crown says was personal. He accepted that he had not done so and that he had gone on to spend another $25,000 on the college card for personal use over the next six weeks. The prosecutor reeled off a list of personal expenses in the months that followed, in- cluding thousands of dollars of jewelry, clothes and a Gucci handbag for his girlfriend, home improvements for him- self and his girlfriend and a pharmacy bill for Viagra. “By the end of September, $120,000 in personal expendi- ture and not one receipt to Mr. Singh?” Mr. Moran asked. Mr. Syed said, “I don’t re- member giving any receipts.” He said the accountant would have had access to the statements and his assistant would have had some receipts but he did not know how many or which ones. In his evidence in chief, Syed accepted he had been negligent about record keeping but said he had not been dis- honest. He said there was an agreement in place that the card could be used for per- sonal expenditure and reim- bursements made. On Thursday afternoon, Syed was questioned about a salary advance of just over $70,000 he had been given by the college in January 2007. Under questioning from Mr. Moran, he accepted that he had used $60,000 of this money to pay off a student loan for his then-girlfriend, Ka- trina Parchment. He acknowledged that he had asked for the salary ad- vance for “medical reasons” but suggested that once he had the money, it was up to him to de- cide how it was used since he would be paying it back. He claimed the salary ad- vance had been approved by Conor O’Dea, then-pres- ident of the UCCI board of governors, and denied forging emails to fool the accountant into paying the advance. Ear- lier in the trial, Mr. O’Dea tes- tified that he was unaware of the advance until after the fact. Mr. O’Dea said he had not approved it, but acknowl- edged he had set up an agreed schedule of repayment when it was brought to his attention several months later. He said he believed it was for medical expenses and he was sympa- thetic to Syed. Syed completed his evi- dence Friday. The defense is expected to call character witnesses on Monday, with closing statements from both sides later in the week. Pageant Beach, Treehouse sites to be redeveloped TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two long-vacant parcels in the North Church area – the site of the old Almond Tree restaurant and Tree- house residence, and Pag- eant Beach – appear headed for redevelopment, possibly as a hotel and “mixed-use.” A US$5.75 million deal for the 1.82-acre Treehouse site closed in November. Buyer Naul Bodden and his NCB Homes registered the sale in mid-December. The group, which may in- clude other local investors, is looking at a boutique five- story hotel, accompanied by commercial and residential development on the small beachfront cove. Matthew Wight, NCB managing director, acknowl- edged the acquisition of the Treehouse site, describing it as “a beautiful location, so we want to do the right thing,” but declined to reveal plans. He said designs have not been completed. In October last year, Mr. Bodden and five partners acquired 80 percent of the nearby Wharf restaurant for an undisclosed price. Meanwhile, the 7.1- acre Pageant Beach site is “pending conditional,” meaning the potential buyer is studying a range of de- velopment requirements, including traffic man- agement in the area adja- cent to The Wharf restau- rant, Kirk Market and the three-way intersection with Eastern Avenue. The 900-foot beachfront site has been vacant since Cayman’s first tourist hos- telry, the 36-guest Pageant Beach Hotel, built in 1954, burned down in 1975. Prop- erty owner Susan Olde has long sought between $20 million and $23 million for the property. Citing the property’s “conditional” – and confi- dential – status, real estate broker Kim Lund declined to identify the potential buyer, saying he held the property “under contract, meaning somebody is doing a deal.” Police: Break-ins down, gun crimes up CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Syed denies lying to auditors about travel expenses Syed completed his evidence Friday. The defense is expected to call character witnesses on Monday, with closing statements from both sides later in the week. Overall crime numbers for 2016 increased by about 15 percent. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYNext >