Premier ignores crime in policy statement
(CNS): The opposition took aim at the premier in the wake of his Strategic Policy Statement presentation on Thursday when it said he had failed to address the crucial issue of crime. During the almost two hour speech, in which McKeeva Bush had outlined government’s broad strategic policy goals for the next budget year, Alden McLaughlin said he was “astounded” that the premier had not said one word about the growing problem of violent crime. The George Town opposition member told the House that he did not think there was an issue which was more important than the impact violent crime was having on the country.
He said all of the efforts government claimed it was making to try and attract new business would be thwarted unless this key issue was addressed.
While McLaughlin was at pains to say he was not blaming government for the increase in criminal activity, he said that he believed it had responsibility to do something about it. He pointed out that the premier never lost a single opportunity to tell the previous administration when he was leader of the opposition that government had a responsibility to tackle crime, even when at that time elected officials had a lot less influence than they did now in the wake of constitutional changes.
Under the constitution, the government has three ministers on the National Security Council and is in a better position than any previous government to influence the police strategies for dealing with crime. McLaughlin noted that while the members squabbled with each other yesterday, the Bank of Butterfield was robbed, shots fired and people terrified.
The PPM member also questioned why a private member’s motion he had spent considerable time preparing and filed with the Legislative Assembly calling for a full national strategy to deal with crime back in February, had still not even seen the light of day.
Given that the SPS is an important milestone in the political calendar, McLaughlin said he found it unbelievable he was silent on the issue of crime. “For the premier to deliver the SPS and not say one word about crime is astounding," McLaughlin said. “I don’t believe there is an issue that is more serious.”
Not only was the crime problem going to impact the efforts to attract business and tourism, McLaughlin noted how it was also changing the culture and way of life of Caymanians. He said there were certain areas of George Town now where, when he visited, local teens would ask him for ten dollars to watch his car. “The sense of safety that was part of our lives and our country is being lost,” he said. While he accepted that crime was complex and there would never be enough money to do the things needed to address the fundamental causes of crime, the country had to find a way to stem the siege through a comprehensive strategy.
“I can’t say that government isn’t doing anything about crime, but we don’t know as it hasn’t said anything about it,” he said, adding that it was very worrying to see such an important issue omitted from the SPS. “Government appearsnot to be giving crime the attention it deserves. “Improving the fiscal position will all be for naught if we are all forced to walk around with a police guard as the premier does,” he said. “Government has a responsibility to do something … but the silence is deafening.”
In his response the premier criticised the opposition for what he said were “wild allegations”. He said it was easy fodder for the opposition to criticise government over crime and it was merely political tactics that the opposition member knew would score points with the public. He said there was not a single member in the Legislative Assembly not concerned about crime, but despite the National Security Council, government still had no power over policing.
Noting that revealing the country’s strategy for dealing with crime was a security risk, Bush said that his government was doing all it could to deal with the issue and the opposition member was misleading the public.
Category: Headline News
A lawless government inevitably leads to a lawless society.
Comish Baynes is gone under(the)cover. What a sweet talker he was. Seriously anybody seem him lately? And Honorable Governor please stop boring us with ALL your comments !!!!!! Enjoying your pre retirement on 7 SMB.
What has happened to helio, the onewho complained so much that the PPM was responsible for all the crime? What is his UDP cronies doing about this unheard of skyrocket in crime?
The lack of progress or concern regarding the crime wave must be either incompetence or corruption. I am not sure which is worse. Either way it’s obvious that the government doesn’t care.
the answer is-both. The question remains why local media would not demand a press conference with responsible officials? Are we waiting for a Travel alert?
The Premier is ignoring the crime issue because he has the default excuse that The Governor is responsible for the police department therefore responsible for the increase in crime. Voters, the metal of a true leader is to address all issues that affect the residents of the country or juristriction that he or she is responsible for. True leadership for the people, not leadership for the individual or his small group of supporters.
The premier can SAY all he wants but this ACTIONS speaks louder and clearer than words!
The level of crime and the type of crime has seriously, drastically and profoundly increased since 2004 ordeal with Hurricane Ivan and the "free-lancing" of Caymanians status.
Crime is evident and evidenced every day. We all see it, live it, hear it, feel it and some die from it. Now the premier is saying that he and his govt is doing ALL that they can do!???
I can only conclude that they have now reached a decision, a conclusion, a realisation that they cannot competently govern this country.
Please do us Caymanians, present and future, the biggest honor – RESIGN !!
We cannot maintain properity and stability without competent educated governance – you’re definitely not it!
Here is one for you Mckeeva since you are so powerful tell our Silent Governor to fire the Commissioner of police. How much more crime are we going to have to put up with on this island. Baines must go!
No better time than now for criminals to act!
Companies are handling more cash because of the Christmas season,Police are busy asking the public about how good they are doing..insecure much!(don’t they have an undercover unit, cant be that hard to widdle out the big players on this tiny island) and our elected officials playing stupid in the LA.
The only crime strategy our Beloved Leader has is making sure that the fence round his yard is plenty high and paid for by us.
The words which best describe this government are "soft on crime" and "big on luxury travel for themselves and their cronies".
Crime, what crime!? Cayman has no crime!! at least in the world of McKeeva…. and it never ceases to amaze me that people continue to support this man. Mind you, when you’re visiting the Queen and she makes a special point to speak to you(!) you really can’t possibly be expected to know what’s happening to your minions…..
Surely this speech shows a blatant disregard for Cayman and HIS very own constituents?!
Any politician can approach the bench on the subject of crime, it dose’nt have to necessarily be left to the premier.
If you got a leaky tyre and you keep pumping air in it every day will not fix the problem unless you find the hole. So crime has to be addressed as getting a patch or buying a new tyre. Which ever way the leak must be stopped.
Anon 05:49, the point is that the premier delivered their policy statement & not once mentioned the increase in crime in our country, & that is what is shocking!
Man try hush na him and sister Julie gah want to get upgrade armored vehicles that we can ill afford right now. What can he do you people just don’t get it. They are all armed and protected this is the type of society they always wanted so they can distinguish themselves from the population. They have been assured by the governing power who is also protected that push come to shove they will be secured the criminal minded public will have to fend for themselves just like Ivan. Have some of you forgotten when the Warship arrived fools singing praises helicopter left with Governor looters continued terrorizing the Island only person trying to restore order Derek Haines and we all know the rest of that story. I bet some people in the UK would like us to forget all about that page of history of the Cayman Islands. If you doubt what i am telling you ask our Premier about what the Police Commissioner is doing about crime? He is doing a good Job and he needs more time. Time is what criminals should be doing.
Don’t confuse the history of Ivan – the Royal Navy offered help and were refused and sent away by the government. They did not leave because they didn’t want to help – they weren’t allowed.
Absolute rubbish. Help (real help, that is, not merely some tarpaulins and water purification tablets) was denied to us by the UK Govt. in the hope that we, and our financial industry, would perish.
The government that turned away the Royal Navy after they offered help in the wake of hurricane Ivan was the UDP government, let it be known. Help was offered & Mac Bush irresponsibly refused their help.
Delusional. Bottom line is that the RCIPS does not have the tools to combat the crime. We hear too often that criminals are arrested and then released a short time later for one reason or another. I don’t blame the working officers for being ill prepared. I blame the government that hires and trains them. Further more, when you have criminals that have guns and police that don’t, nothing good can come of it. Times are changing. This is not the UK. You’re dealing with a much different temperament here in Cayman. You can’t apply the same principals. The criminals don’t even remotely respect the police. They have no reason to be afraid. Congratulations to the police for the crimes that do get solved and prosecuted. However, far too many violentcrimes go unsolved and unprosecuted. Until some criminals are made an example of, and they have a reason to be afraid, and respect the officers (who should be armed!), then crime will continue to get worse. This, I fear, will ultimately be the undoing of the Cayman Islands. Both business’s and tourists will leave for fear of their safety of not only their money but their physical well being.
I have to agree with the Opposition in their comments to our Premier that it seems like nothing is being done in respect of the crime wave that we see ourselves in at the present time.If indeed Mr.Bush feels that revealing the so called "Strategy"in the fight against crime was a security risk then for goodness sake go public with something in that respect.Spend some time on the radio and tv( like you do for so many other less important things) and at least give the public the assurance that something was being done.The silence is deafening as one member said in the house recently and I must agree.I keep hearing that policing is the responsibility of the Governor and while that might be true Mr. Bush is the leader of this country duly elected and MUST come out with some sort of response to the public outcry.While all this going on the crime rate gets worse by the day especially in gun crime and Mr.Premier what will your reply be when one of our visitors is killed during an armed robbery???Mark my words it will not take much to drive away what little stay over visitors that we have and need so badly and then what will you say then?Its the Governors fault?If there’s smoke lets see some fire for a change!!!!
The PPM AND THE UDP are BOTH EQUALLY to blame for and responsible for the continued crime-wave. This wave started in 2005 whilst the PPM was still very much in power, and continued/continues today with the UDP doing the same thing the PPM did-NOTHING!
As the latest statistics bear out, crime has skyrocketed in the past 18 months in particular.
"he said that his government was doing all it could to deal with the issue"
Given their level of incompetence that might be true. A competent government would be bringing in laws to significantly increase the penalties for gun/violent crime. A competent government would end the revolving door parole system and would eliminate parole for gun/violent crime. A competent government would reform the Northward Hotel. A competent government would change the law to make sentences apply to each and every crime by requiring that the sentences for violent crimes must be consecutive rather than concurrent.
A competent government would do a lot of things that there is little hope that this government would have the stomach to do. The government politicians have body guards – are they refusing to do anything about violent crime because they don’t want to lose the thug vote?
The first 3 words in the headline say it all.
It’s ridiculous that there appears no one or dept. is tagged for over seeing policing. Without this basic stable established how can respect for those serving in the force be present if they themselves have no one with respect working within them. Working within policing at the moment must be stupidly frustrating. . I sympathize.