West Bay police boss gets governor’s backing

| 25/09/2009

(CNS): A recent petition submitted to the governor requesting the removal of West Bay’s police Area Commander has been rejected outright. Governor Stuart Jack said, not only was there “no merit to the petition”, Howell was doing a good job and that her efforts to tackle crime should be recognised and supported by the community. He said he was acutely aware of the level of crime in the Cayman Islands, as illustrated by the latest armed robbery at Quik Cash, but the police were doing all they could and that the local community should be offering its support to the police service. Police Commissioner David Banes echoed the sentiments and said Howard was one of his hardest working officers  in the RCIPS.

Jack said he wished to reassure the public that the RCIPS, headed by the new commissioner, was doing all it can to prevent crime and bring perpetrators to justice but noted that success is sometimes dependent upon public cooperation and stressed the importance of the public in West Bay and all districts of working in partnership with the RCIPS to make the Cayman Islands a safer place.

Speaking to CNS on Thursday afternoon, the commissioner also dismissed the views of the petitioner and stated that Howell was the one police officer that could be counted on to do the work that many of those supporting the petition say they want officers to do.

“If you ask which officer has been reaching out to the community to help people the most it is Angelique Howell. If you ask where you will see officers on foot and on bicycles it’s in West Bay,” the commissioner stated. He said she was organising community events for the young people in the district, working tirelessly to get sponsorship from the business community for film nights. He pointed to the recent recruitment forums she had hosted and said she worked incredibly hard to reach out to the people of the district. “She is one of my most ardent and strident officers and is doing exactly what the community has asked for by reaching out to them.”

Baines said that the petition was raised by one individual and he did not believe it had the backing of the West Bay Action Committee, a group of residents who have consistently complained about the way their district is policed and have voiced their opposition to the area commander. Baines said he would be meeting with the members of that committee soon, along with local politicians and official members to see if he can get to the bottom of the grievances in the district. He said he wanted to engage in balanced discussion and not a rant.

Baines emphasised that he believed the opposition to Howard was misplaced and that she was working extremely hard to help her community.

If you have any information you would like to share with the Police, you can do so in person at any of the police stations or by telephone – 911 for emergencies and 949-4222 for non-emergencies. If you want to remain anonymous when reporting a crime you can call the Crime Stoppers helpline on – 800 8477 (TIPS).

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  1. Anonymous says:

    H.E has done it again.  He has fully endorsed what he believes to be the genuine article.    He has a history of false beliefs no doubt.   The facts just dont matter to him.   These are the facts governor::  West Bay weep.  West  Bay pain.   West Bay cry out for help and what do you do?   Completely ignore the wishes of the people of this district.    When is the last time you visited this district?  (Last Pirates Week)   When is the last time you spoke to the ordinary West Bayer?   (pirates Week)   Give me a break,  you are not in a position to  endorse anybody.  You just dont have a clue as to what is happening in this district.   Wake up, get up and get out to this district and see, hear and listen to what’s happening first hand from the CONCERNED citizens.   Your Commissioner does’nt know.   He has been here for for too short a time  to know and is not prepared to listen either.  He has begun his tenure disastrously and cannot for the love of Moses recover from that position.  You need to have a serious rethink, admit you have made a grave mistake and be man enough to make the desired,right and proper decision for the benefit of West Bay, RCIP and the Cayman Islands.    Please,   from a more than concerned West Bayer, RELIEVE US OF OUR BURDEN,  THE PRESENT MANAGEMENT FORTHWITH.

  2. Anonymous says:

    For sure she needs to go!!!!……. GO  ON DOING WHAT SHE DOES!!!! A GREAT JOB!!!!! Se is doing a fine job in the Islands. She can not change where she is from….(get over it!) West Bayers can however change their mentality! This woman obviously care about her job and wants to make a difference…. Some are just too stupid and shallow to see! She needs to go….. and she is indeed going places!!! Good job Angel!!!

     

  3. Anonymous says:

    Commander Howell is an amazing individual who truly cares about the safety of the CAyman people.

    I had the pleasure of working with her on various community projects when she was Chief Inspector at FSU and to see her in WB making REAL changes is a blessing to Cayman.

    Keep up the good work Commander!

  4. Anonymous says:

    The Governor backed Martin Bridger.   Tell me about the results.

  5. Anonymous says:

    I take my hat off to Mrs Howell, she is always featured in the news, organinsing events for the WB district. Lady, keep your head high, to hell with those narrow minded West Bayers.

    I live in the BT district, I don’t even know who my area Commander is, male or female. I don’t hear of them organising anything like what Mrs. Howell has done. She has the police on bicycles, that would be the day that we see BT Police on bicycles.

    Help her West Bayers help her, stop fighting against her. Which will in turn help the Caymanian Community.

     

  6. Anonymous says:

    Sounds like you hit a nerve with the crimanals in west bay,  Keep up the good work.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Keep up the good work Angelique – there are just some people you can never satisfy.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Angelique Howell is no worst than any of the other District Commanders that West Bay had over the years, of which I never heard no one start a petition about them.

    If I find any fault with her, it’s too much focus on traffic related duties rather than a greater concentration on "drugs and firearms" which is not only rampant in West Bay, but the whole of Grand Cayman.

    The main failures of the RCIPS stands directly at the feet of the "Gold Commanders" who have adopted police practices that are "flawed" from the UK and is 100% incompatible with the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean.

    Angelique may not win a personality contest but give her some information on onging criminal activity, she is sure to follow up and get some results. That is more than you can get from some of the other clowns walking around with their chests stuck out, weaing fancy neckties and glittering lapels, who only says, "you wait, we gonna get them"

    Get them ??

    Some of them couldn’t eliminate an injured fly, if it pitched on their nose. !!!

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, the RCIPS!!!! 

    What a terrible direction they have gone over the past several years. It’s so ironic, that with all the funding they once had, we now see very little positive results in return. It goes back to my earlier position, with so much funding and so few positive results, do you agree that the strategic policing is incompatible and flawed for the Cayman Islands. ??? 

     

     

  9. Anonymous says:

    I agree this governor is very incompetent and I cant wait for him to leave !!!!

  10. Anonymous says:

    The bigots only hate her because she’s Jamaican and not a true Caymanian. They blame her for the rise in crime in their area like they blame expats in general when in reality it is because they have been bad parents and it is their ferral children that go on to commit these crimes, following their parents example of blaming everyone but themselves.

     

  11. Anonymous says:

    For sure the Governor needs to go.

    His head has been in the wrong place while he was here.

  12. noname says:

    Both of them needs to go!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Why don’t we get rid of all Police in Cayman then you can do what you want without worries.