School kids spend a day in police boots

| 21/06/2013

cop inspects students 2 (266x300).jpg(CNS): As part of efforts by the RCIPS to make encourage more young Caymanians to consider a career with the police six new recruits joined the ranks of the RCIPS this week for just one day . The officers who were all aged between 10 and 15 years were chosen by their schools to take part in the RCIPS Junior Police Academy initiative. John Gray students Caswell Ferguson, Elythia Ebanks and Urick McField joined Brandon Ramsay from Clifton Hunter High School and two primary school students Dayger Martinez of Red Bay and Jabari Walrond of Prospect who all took part and spent a day in the life of an officer.

Kitted out in police uniforms they spent the day touring George Town police station, Police HQ and the Air and Joint Marine Units. They also spent some time on foot patrol in George Town with senior officers and visited the Grand Court. Before they began their tour of duty they were inspected by Commissioner David Baines. 

The day in the life of an officer programme has three main aims. These are to further develop and enhance relationships between the young people of the Cayman Islands and the RCIPS; create a better understanding, particularly with Cayman youth, about the role of the police; and finally, encourage the young people to think about future employment opportunities within the RCIPS.

Commissioner Baines was delighted with the enthusiasm shown by the students throughout the day “Every one of the students fully applied themselves to the programme,” he said. “They were respectful and attentive during their visits to our various departments and asked somevery relevant questions. I’m sure they learned a lot from their visit and I hope that the time they spent with us will have made them much more aware of what we do and the different types of roles carried out by staff in our various departments.

“While Tuesday’s  visit was more about raising awareness of what we do and further developing our relationship with young people, if it has encouraged any of them to start thinking about a career with the RCIPS then that’s a real bonus for us.”

The youngest of the students, 10-year-old Jabari Walrond, was delighted that his school selected him to take part in the programme. “I was very pleased to be chosen. I think it’s pretty cool,” he said. “I would consider becoming a police officer because they help the community and keep the Cayman Islands safe. If I did that I would be following in my father’s footsteps – he is a prison officer.”

The RCIPS will be launching a recruitment campaign to specifically target Caymanian recruits later this year and officials said details will be made available in the near future.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    This is excellent. Cudos to the RCIPS and the youngsters involved.

  2. Anonymous says:

    A very good motion, bend the tree from time they are young so they would have respect for the laws and country when they become adults… this should be done for every child living in the Cayman Islands. Imagine how these islands be if everyone respected the laws and the Police!! Heaven!!

  3. Anonymous says:

    People let us stop the negativity. I am very proud to see young Caymanians wanting to do this job. We need our local people. Proud of you all!!! Keep up the good work.

  4. Anonymous says:

    That’s their job man. Your job is to see they have an honorable authority to give them orders. Now get to work.

  5. Anonymous says:

    where's the like button? good stuff.

  6. Anonymous says:

    They are suppose to protect and serve, but instead we train them to blindly follow authority with no regard to WHO that authority is

    • Anonymous says:

      15.36-you obviously were wounded mentally as a child for such a comment to appear…I wish you well and hope you can see how being so negative is not the best example for our youth. Well done RCIPs, hopefully showing kids that there is no need to fear the police or a democratically elected governement

      • cayman voice says:

        LOL … no need to fear the police???  And you are suggesting that commissioner Baines is democratically elected???  I hope not.  oh lawd, I just feel off my chair laughing at your comment.

        • Anonymous says:

          read again 11.37, two separate ideas separated by an "or'. I just fell off my chair laughing at the ability of people to hit the comment button without having read the original post properly!