Top cop urges people to help

| 21/07/2011

(CNS): Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis has urged people across the community to come forward and help the police catch the men involved in the most recent robberies, where innocent members of the public were shot indiscriminately. Ennis said that the people cannot be paralysed by fear and must tell the RCIPS what they know to ensure the perpetrators are caught. He said that it was time to shake of the fear and mistrust and work with the police to help find the criminals, whom he referred to as “pure evil”. He said officers were pursuing lines of enquiry but they needed evidence to catch and charge the criminals involved.

“We cannot allow our fear to paralyse us into doing nothing,” Ennis said Thursday afternoon, speaking at a press briefing at the scene of the latest shooting in Bodden Town. “We have to do something.”

He also spoke about issues of mistrust and said there must be someone in the RCIPS that people felt confident to speak to and if they really could not find an officer they want to talk to then they should speak with their pastor. “It is our community that is at risk and if we all remain silent we will all suffer,” he said, as he urged people to come forward.

He said the community could not allow a grandmother and much loved member of the community who had worked at Lorna’s for fifteen years to be shot indiscriminately on her way home and then sit back and say nothing because people say they don’t trust the police. “What if it is going to be your grandmother tomorrow?” Ennis asked.

The deputy commissioner was joined by Osbourne Bodden, the owner of Lorna’s Gas Station, where the latest victim, Medsadie Connor, works. The 57-year-old woman was shot by robbers, who had grabbed her bag as she approached her car after leaving the gas station around 10pm on Wednesday, 13 July.

The police had put up a $20,000 reward and Bodden, in partnership with Bob Watler of Watler’s Metal Products, announced that he was doubling the reward with another $20,000 contribution, providing a bounty of US$40K on the robbers.

Acknowledging that there were no guarantees that increasing the reward would make a difference, Bodden said he hoped it was enough to tempt someone to say something. The business owner and Ennis both spoke of the importance of the community coming forward with information as it would be the only way that the country could address the escalating violence.

“These people are not living in a vacuum, they are not living in a cave, they are friends and relatives of someone,” Bodden said, adding there was a need to break the grip of fear. He expressed his real concern about what was happening to the country and how people were afraid to come forward but were also afraid to come out.

He said business owners were facing a double problem as at the same time as having to increase their spending on security measures their takings were down because people were more and more afraid to go anywhere and spend money. Bodden said that local business owners in the eastern districts had met on Thursday afternoon to discuss what they could all do to work together and with the police to help address the problem.

Ennis added that the RCIPS was increasing patrols and businesses would see more of their officers but he added there were lots of businesses on the island and that it was not possible to be at every business premises but they were focusing on gas stations and eateries. He said he understood the collective fears but they were doing everything they could to get the crime, which he said had an element in some cases of organisation, under control.

Although Ennis said he could not go into the specifics of the investigations regarding the recent robberies, he said police were working under certain assumptions about the recent shootings and that there could be connections.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Once the RCIP can proof that they can act responsibly, professional and maintain confidentiality, then perhaps people will feel comfortable to come forward. Unfortunately, there are too many cases (I have experienced some myself) that have shattered any faith anyone may have had in the RCIP at one stage.

    In addition, there is a high rate of people having been charged with a crime but are then NOT convicted due to various reasons such as messing up evidence, technicality errors, proofing the case beyone a reasonable doubt, offenders connections within the community, etc etc. So unless there can be faith that Crown Counsel (or legal dept etc) pull up their socks, what is the point of getting them arrested just so they can be released again?

    Also Mr. Ennis and Mr. Bodden,  there have been many reports that the public HAS called in various tips either to the police or crime stoppers and NOTHING was done. So perhaps before appealing to the public, you should first fix the broken links there?

     

  2. Anonymous says:

    What a dog's dinner of a situation we got here. A mainly foreign polce force, a mainly foreign population, a secretive native population that runs like the wind away from reality, and somehow this is all being glossed over as "normal"? This is anything but normal. The "Caymanian" police force must be in a daze. They are being asked to solve the unsolvable – like "How long's a piece of string?".

  3. Anonymous says:

    2points: 1=Mr Ozzie is right (see Net NEws front page)… crime is NOTdown.

    After all,the RCIPS cannot compare the QUALTITY to the QUALITY!

    Neither can they compare this year's crime stats to last year, to indicate that"All is well".

    As an example, the Statistics office uses a benchmark year over a decade or so of comaprisons. So, I'd suggest the cops compare today's crime rate to that in1990 or 1980… and could they then STILL say that "Crime is DOWN"?

    2 = The police reports are atrocious and belong in the bin!!  Why cant the cops learn to use the extensive Street Atlas with maps and road names to find – and to properly publicly ID the location of crimes?

    Instead, they lazily refer to the nearest location/tree/business in their reports – the latest example (see Compass letter on Friday) is Mr. Jim Wood's bar, which was falsely ID'd as the location of the serious stabbing last week.

    XXX

    No wonder so many cases are thrown out due to shoddy police work.

  4. TCM29 says:

    Good luck, but I doubt the plea for help will work, as it does not anyplace else in the world.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Trust.

     

    I do not trust the police.

     

    Police have relatives who are criminals.

     

    The police will not rat our their uncles and cousins.

    • Libertarian says:

      I undertand what you mean. Some officers (and not only the local ones) cannot be trusted. However, my friend, to be in "dead silence" of a crime, is still inexcusable. Perpatrator may continue to shoot other people in the face and it could be, like the Commissioner said, "your grandmother!" The Royal Cayman Islands Police has provided ways and means in which you can give Anonymous tips and information to them without having to reveal your self-identity. It is your civic duty to expose this "pure evil" and see to it that we have a safer community. If you don't trust to use your cell phone, there is always a public phone booth, and there is something call writting a letter or sending an email. On our Cayman Crime Stoppers' website, if you Google it, you will see the option of making a report online or post a tip whilst being Anonymous. See for yourself: https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=681

      There is no excuse whatsoever to claim that you're scare of making a report to the Police because they can't be trusted. God always provides a safe and secure way towards bringing harmful offenders to Justice!

      • Anonymous says:

         

        You're missing the point. The poster did not ask for a "secure way" to give information. The poster makes reference to family connections.

        Also, stop trying to fool people that are genuinely afraid of retaliation about "secure”. as every reports can be traced back to a location and narrowed down to a person. Think about it:

        1) Regardless of how you want to give information using a PC, your IP address could give you away.

        2) Public phone booth, probably the safest, but how many of those you see around today?

         For the intelligence gathering arm of the police to work, please stop allowing inmates at Northward to make phone calls… If the public is honest and wants to speak the truth, a lot will agree that prisoners in Northward make daily telephone calls to their relatives and confederates. The officials have no excuse for not installing a cell phone jamming system in the vicinity of our prisons to discourage this act, so crown witnesses and jurors can rest in peace at nights knowing that after a case is closed and a convict is placed behind bars, that he is not able to give instructions while living off our tax dollar. 

        • Anonymous says:

          public phones that I know of in cayman….2 at reef grill, 2 at gas station near royal palms, 1 at gas station near wharf restaurant, 1 at eats restaurant…and 2 on street by at same plaza and that is just from memory.

          If one is really looking for a phone to call in info….there are some spots.

        • Libertarian says:

          I agree with you that the poster did not ask for a "secure way" to give information. I don't expect anyone to trust the system of government 100%

    • Anonymous says:

      I agree and I am sorry, yes it could have been my grandmother, but I use to report crimes and you know where it got me, death threats, yep death threeats from the people I reported…you don't need a genius to figure that one out.  So sorry, I for one will never report on anything I see and I suggest the same to all!!!!

  6. Anonymous says:

    I've tried phoning crimestoppers and the person at the other end of the phone could not have been less interested in what I had to say, and could not get me off the phone fast enough.  I won't bother trying that again.

    • Anonymous says:

      And THAT is a problem…

    • Anonymous says:

      send an annonymous letter with all the details. It will not be traced thru the mail.

      • Anonymous says:

        whatever…if they can't be bothered when you call, they're certainly not going to be bothered by some anonymous letter.  they're idiots, simple as that. 

    • Anonymous says:

      I'm sorry you had that experience, I have called them and they asked a lot of questions. I felt really good that I had called. Please don't put other people off, we are in a desperate situation in Cayman right now and we all have to work together to get this scum off the streets.

       

       

  7. Anonymous says:

    Perehaps the RCIPS would get more help if they were more professional themsleves.  When you see them cruising along in their cars using their cellphones, the image is not a good one.  When you see them in a supermarket wondering around with holstered weapons shopping, it is not a good image.

    Let us see more cops on foot, let us see more arrests being made.  Lets see a pro-active presence at known trouble areas BEFORE the crime is committed and not after. 

    Let us see police show up in court when they are supposed too.

    Let me see that someone else can handle my reported crime other than being told, nothing can be done until PC Whatever comes back from vacation (yes its true).

    Let us see and RCIPS the crooks will fear.

    Then and only then might you just see public support gowing

    • Anonymous says:

      Bicycle cops are successful in a lot of places. They can "off-road and intercept" more often than Police vehicles. Besides being "community friendly" they are quick-to-the-draw". They are constantly trained and physically and psychologically "in sinc" with the local community.

       

      • Anonymous says:

        And chase down these gun toting criminals with a belt and a batton?

          Bicycles cops is for the after breakfast cops needing exercise, and obtaining neighbourhood news..

        • Anonymous says:

          The village bobby teetering around on a old Raleigh no longer exists. Bicycle patrols  are well-seasoned and streetwise, learn a lot in the community and can patrol areas where police cars are too highly visible. They can move quietly and stealthily. Those 21-speed mountain bikes can respond faster than a car and give chase in high traffic situations or off-road scarpers. They are usually armed but the first weapons are the bikes themselves which they are trained to use as weapons. I recently watched two bike cops overtake a thief – had him pinned on the wall with both bikes, in seconds. The Bicycle corps is usually the fittest and best-trained of the bunch. Another positive is that bicycle cops are usually highly dedicated and there is good morale within the ranks.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The RCIPS need to cultivate some respect for law and order in the community.  Please take Cayman high schoolers to Northward and show them the conditions there, the lack of privacy, the stories about male rape, and the sentences for various petty crimes.  Start ticketing ALL THE TIME for dangerous and recurring traffic offenses.  Go to the SMU parking lot and impound vehicles with expired coupons.   Ask your officers to start upholding the laws and set the right example!    So much obvious routine police work is disregarded or given a free pass and that cultivates the public's cynicism and mistrust, not to mention the prevalent disregard for law and order. 

    • Anonymous says:

      How about setting up a road block on North Side on a Sunday afternoon?  I know that drinking and driving on a Sunday is an old tradition on this island, but seeing tricked out hondas going 75 mph in a thirty zone is a little scary.  It happens every single weekend and I never see a police presence.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I was listening to a local radio station a while back and one of the commentators (a man) was asking a question along with a female commentator for some type of call in poll. The question went something like "If you saw something that wasn't right" refering to criminal activity "would you say anything". The Guy a Caymanian (from the accent) said something to effect that if he saw something he would tend to stick to his own business and if it didn't directly affect him he wouldn't bother with someone elses business. The Girl, not Caymanian (accent) said she would report it. I was taken back by the guys response becuase it was immediate and automatic. He saw nothing wrong with what he said and no obligation. This was a professional person, on the radio and he saw nothing wrong with his comment. I don't know if people are raised this way here becuase it (was) has always been small communites and in the past people didn't engage in gossip (other peoples business) which somehow translates to not reporting suspicious activity etc. I am of the General perception that this is they way most Cayamians are. If it is not directly affecting them at the moment then it is none of their business therefore no feeling of obligation to say something about it? This may also be way they have allowed their elected officals free range at the trough and all sorts of other self-indulgences. I am an expat and in 10 years this is what I see. I'm not cracking on Caymanians in fact this would be a testament to their good will and nature. However, they are plenty not like this who will take advantage of it and if there is any merit to what I say we can no longer afford to bethat way. Crime is everyones business..family members or not. If they don't have a job…what are they doing?

    • Anonymous says:

      What a disgusting racist post. You hear one man who you believe to be Caymanian by his accent speak on the radio about his views and you immediately condemn every Caymanian. If I observe a crime it is going to be reported plain and simple.

      And we wonder why there is a an expat/Caymanian divide?

      • Anonymous says:

        It's interesting that you think the post is racist. Do you really want to know why there is a divide?

        1. This country has one law for Caymanian
        2. One law for Jamaicans
        3. Another law for everybody else

        Lets face the facts:

        1. How long did it take to prosecute the case of the Jamaican’s that murdered the prominent lady a few years back?
        2. How long did it take to prosecute the Jamaican that murdered the radio DJ and couple years back?
        3. How long did it take to prosecute that case with the Honduran national…

        Now, XXXX

        I share something with you before I go, when I just came here,  a my workplace  assigned me to a Caymanian for local knowledge, etc. and guess the first thing the dude said to me after we were introduced? He said, “Go exchange your drivers license and here is my telephone number. If you meet in any accident, if the driver is a Jamaican or Filipino, you cool as the Police will give him/her wrong (regardless), but any other nationality, give me a call as one of my faaamily must  be on duty” (referring to a Police Officer).

        My friend, take your head out the sand and you will see why there is a divide, and stop blaming innocent posters.

  10. nauticalone says:

    I agree with many previous posters. The Police really need to be more forthcoming with information also. The discriptions they often provide are simply not very "discriptive".

    I'm getting very tired of the excuse from the Police of "it's not like CSI". Try "the first 48 hours" if you must use TV shows to justify your efforts.

    And i know many upstanding residents who would gladly "provide information to the Police" if they/we knew any. Obviously more needs to be done than PR pieces about "being intelligently aggressive" and putting the onus back on the people (that's only part of the equation).

    And for those who don't connect the level of "white collar crime" (real or percieved) with other crimes…..try again! It's all connected….Cayman's poor reputation for "intelligently and aggressively" consistently going after crime (from the Top Down) has created a climate of "i'm a get mines too…..by hook or by crook"! And also an environment where much behavior that is unethical…..is either not noticed…..or where "turn a blind eye" is often employed.

    ps: I'm very happy this lady will recover (for the most part) and that such support has materialized. And i certainly will continue to do all that i can to fight crime….at all levels.

    • Anonymous says:

      You must understand how an investigation works. The police do not always release all of the information for a reason. They use the information they have not released when they question suspects. Just because you don't get to hear all the details, does not mean the police are not using every detail.

  11. anonymous says:

    I urge the cops to do better detective work. 

    Why are the roadblocks only to check if your sticker is expired? Why do so many pull out of these roadblock lines with no consequenses? Common sense should tell you to stop those people and search them??!!  This is just one example of the lack of common sense in our police force. I could cite 20 different examples but it wont help. They are just bad. Really really bad.

     

  12. Anonymous says:

    There are people out there who know who these cowardly criminals are, and where they are hiding out at the moment.  If they do not pass this information (anonymously if needs be) to the police then they are just the same cowardly and morally corrupt characters as these people that can shoot defenceless and innocent bystanders.  Come on, find some courage and morals and do what's right for all including yourselves!

  13. Libertarian says:

    The importance of speaking out:

    “What if it is going to be your grandmother tomorrow?”

    Powerful words. And that is why we need functions, public meetings, marches, demonstrations, social events to educate the young and old alike to not hid and keep quiet about crime agianst people and businesses, because it involves everyone and is not just a mere police thing – but should involve the entire community!

    That is why we need both major political parties, McKeeva and Alden, and independents to come together, put away their differences for the country, and organize events to awake people out oftheir homes. Which MLA would be the first to step out and do something revolutionary. Demonstrations, marches, reaching the kids at the schools, and social functions, is how you educate people. You send an alarm in the community and get people out of their homes! That how you should inform people. Not sit back and give speeches and news reports. Have social functions with key speakers for God sake, march to the Governors House! Join with the Estella Roberts Foundation on their fight against Domestic Abuse. To the MLA's:  you have to do something for your country. Crime is a very serious issue and will end up destroying our financial / tourism industry if nothing is done about it. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel message" That is how great religious leaders dessiminate their message of truth. That is how they fought against "PURE EVIL." They didn't put all their reliance on the Police to do everything!  It was a MESSAGE to win the hearts and minds of both old and young people. It also entailed educating people on the importance of speaking out, calling out sin, and sharing that message. Why can't we learn from the great faiths. I plea that whoever is harboring these criminals or playing a blind eye to crime – speak out, because the next victim could be your love one too!

  14. high tech solution says:

    if you want help – accept help – i have offerd on several occasions to finance a high tech solution… sending out 10,000 text messages to the community minutes after the crime – and wait for text messages to come back in… then have police follow up on tips… why the hell not try it… if you truly want the public to help then accept the help… i am the public and getting near real time tips will allow for real time "catching of crooks"…

    i also want to question… is the rumour of drugs being abudantly consumed in the jails? are the people that are being released in desperate need of drugs? are some of these low cash robberies the efforts of these newly released prisoners? how do we expect the general police to close in on an armed suspect if the closest police is unarmed? i don't think throwing his cell phone at the suspected crook will be effective!

    ready and willing to help Mr. Policeman… waiting for you to accept the help…

     

     

     

  15. Anonymous says:

    20:21

    And what would happen when you turn them in? Nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The police do not know what to do. They write RETARD reports, get the information F@!^*ed up, have no investigative experience, poorly trained and a bunch of fools.  I am still in fear for my life and they have not done anything to protect me. 

  16. Charm says:

    The POLICE are CLOWNs. If you turn them in you are still not going to get any results.  I had a threat against my life and went to make a report. First, they were either in a meeting and who were not in a meeting was running around that they are busy.  After standing  for nearly an hour and not getting my report logged, I decided to leave.  I made an announcement that when I am found dead,  then, perhaps they will come and pose at the site with their yellow tape, and make records of another 'Unsolved Murder'.    This got some attention, followed by a lame approach to take my complaints.  To my amazement, 9 hours later officers turned up at my home to warn me, and that a report was made about me interfering with the very same person whom I first complained about threatening my life.  The officers appearded confused when they learned that I had complained about this person 9 hours earlier. NOW, you tell me, where are the CORDINATION OF EFFORTS on the police part? That is why they cannot solve any crime or prevent crimes from happening.  This person who threatened to shoot me up, should be arrested or picked up for questioning. Instead my report must have been placed in the garbage and the violent individual who first threatened me info was booked for the officers to come and harras me.  Entire police department needs to clean-up or train them to serve and protect. They behave like a bunch of CLOWNS.  I now have to put measures in place to protect myself because I cannot depend on the Police.  The entire island should do the same. Find ways to protect yourself and close the police station.    

  17. Anonymous says:

    The police inspire no confidence at all with the people when don't go after the "big" guns on the island.

    • Anonymous says:

      And why would that stop you helping them? Seems like a lame excuse to me.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Happy to see Mr. Bodden and Mr. Watler trying to encourage people to come forward.

    It is vary sad however that we now live like this.  Back in the old days….we would have know who did it and turned them in for free.   Most likely their mother and various bystanders would all have been telling the police and his mother would have encouraged the police to throw away the key. 

    Robbers may be taking our money, but we as a society have apparently happily thrown away our values.

     

  19. Anonymous says:

    Come on Cayman!  Let pull together to stop this wave of crime! We criticise the police and the prosecutors butt withour our help to get them the evidence required by the  Court, these criminal walk around freely and terrorise us.  Let fight back!  Let's use the technoliogy and fight back with our phone cameras to help.  These cameras can bea very powerful tool that is readily available to us all  and one which allow us to be the eyes and ears to crimes.  See; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gasFoqanjR8&feature=related

  20. Anonymous says:

    I would turn them in for free if I knew who they were.  

  21. Anonymous says:

    First – officers, let's have some Facts so we can help you better!

    EG the last crime description (a blue-grey Honda) is pooor.  Was it a Honda Civic/sedan/2 or 4-door//SUV/Moped…??

    Just a bit more data please (and I'm speaking of All the crimes which remain unsolved).

    We can handle it..tell us enough to show that you are doing your part and we will be able to help more.

    Thank you

    • My2cents says:

      Stop making excuses. If you know something, help the police. Don't be concerned about their  shortcommings…worry about your own. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Sure, what are you stupid.  We help and guaranteed the criminal element will know you have assisted.  Been there done that, won't do it ever again!!!  I advise everyone not to get involved, may sound bad, but that is the way it is.  The police will not protect you, the criminal will know you have called!!!!!  It is unfortunate but it has happened over and over and over again!!!!