Christmas crackdown starts with heavy toll

| 11/12/2014

(CNS): The cops' Christmas crackdown began badly for more than three dozen drivers Wednesday. Police said that during the first day of the RCIPS annual Christmas campaign to crackdown on traffic infractions and other crime they prosecuted 39 people on the road. As the festive law enforcement focus started, police were ticketing drivers for a range of offences, from using vehicles with expired registrations, permitting people to drive without being qualified, and speeding. Police also said that they had picked up a wanted man for a criminal offence during one of the targeted road checks. Acting Superintendent Angelique Howell said she was disappointed that the public was still not adhering to the traffic law.

“And each day they are on the roads they are putting other road users lives at risk, including their own,” she said as she warned people the month long campaign would see the RCIPS being relentless in prosecuting those offenders who believe they are above the law.

Illustrating the disregard for the road laws and the dangers on the road from those committing serious traffic offences, Howell said that this year 130 drivers have been arrested for drunk driving and another 847 prosecuted for using a cell phone while driving.

Warning motorist that they must pay special attention to pedestrian crossings or cross-walks she also advised pedestrians to be attentive and said they should look both ways and ensure the road is clear before steppingonto a crossing.

“Safety is everyone’s responsibility,” she added.

The Christmas crime crackdown began Wednesday 10 December and the police will continue the effort throughout the festive season until Sunday 4 January. The RCIPS said the public could expect to see high police visibility during the month long focus.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I would love to know why they are so stupid to have road blocks in the morning when kids have to go to school and people have to go go work ! If they get any more stupid it would be a shame

  2. Anonymous says:

    How come the police dont stop that madman in the old yellow convertable

    He drives like a fool, speeds around town blasting that crazy music passes anytime he wants  

    I saw him today drunk at the bar picking on people being his usual POS self

    He will be speeding around town again tonight

    Is he related to someone in power?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Proper enforcement of the Laws need to happen everyday!

    The standard of driving, and of Police traffic law enforcement has now become very poor!

    I see even Police, MLA's and other top level Govt. officials driving and chatting/texting on their phones quite often.

    • Anonymous says:

      Even worse when you see them driving like ()*$ in Government vehicles such as NRA, Public Works you name it. We have to pay for Civil Servants using gov owned vehicles for all kind of pleasure rides, and on top if it, they can't even obay any traffic laws and endanger others on the road………

  4. Anonymous says:

    If the entire RCIPS issued only 39 tickets in this snapshot of a whole day, it suggests that the officers either do not know the Traffic Law, or are continuing to be highly selective about which laws they ticket for and where.  High Toll?!?  Nothing has changed.  Give me the ticketbook and 5 officers and we could write 50 tickets an hour at just one roundabout!

  5. RP says:

    "Acting Superintendent Angelique Howell said she was disappointed that the public was still not adhering to the traffic law." Angelique, that's because traffic laws are only enforced in December.

    "Howell saidthat this year 130 drivers have been arrested for drunk driving and another 847 prosecuted for using a cell phone while driving." A total of 970 offenders in 11 months or approx 3 per day. Meanwhile, when you enforce the rules as it was done on Wednesday you nab 39 in a single day!  So if laws are enforced as done on Wednesday, at that rate, you should have ticketed approx 330 days x 39 people per day or 12,000 people (out of a pop of 40,000) rather than just 900!  That's a lot of lost revenue for cig in tickets and unsafe drivers on the road!  Enforce traffic offenses daily so that you can protect and serve us please!

  6. Anonymous says:

    So yesterday I saw again an illegal trailer with no license plate, no break lights cause it literally was screwed together by a couple of pieces of wood and loaded to the max with junk. I have seen this trailer now several time and it is being pulled pulled around by a white pick-up truck. I was just wondering how come the police never sees any of those things?

    Also, can someone please tell me who is responsible for removing those cars parked ilegally on the Newlands bypass with a for sale sign up? They should be hauled off and locked in a compound and owners can retrieve them for CI$500 fine payment. Why is police/gov sitting back when  public roads are being converted to used car and boat lots? Is a matter of nobody caring or nobody knowing which dept has responsiblity for this? 

    • Walker says:

      Tattle Tale

    • Anonymous says:

      12:27, its both, nobody cares to find out who's reponsible.

    • Anonymous says:

      And it would really help as the most enflated section of Government is the Police.

      If you do an analyses you are not getting value for money. Big time.

  7. Anonymous Driver says:

    Lets have some fun find out how much of them are Caymanians? Yep because the amount of people i see being let through by their fellow countrymen is obscene and sickening but thats how it goes these days and it looks like Baines is bringing even more to further hemorage and destablize this place.

  8. Anonymous says:

    This is what the police are supposed to everyday….. they do in other parts of the world, but in Cayman it takes a special occasion. Now Mr. Commissioner do you understand why we want you gone?

  9. Sucka Free Cayman says:

    RCIPS better crackdown on the criminals it has in the police service and stop letting their country men go through roadbloclks and targeting the locals. Yes Caymanians exactly what they have accused us of doing they are now doing giving breaks to their own nationality and if you think it is only traffic offences that is happening think again. The nerve of this joker Times up Baines times up Baines!!!!

  10. Anonymous says:

    39 traffic stops = less than 5 per hour in an 8 hour shift.  How many officers were actually part of this "crackdown"?  

    • Jonas Dwyer says:

      Hello police the place and you will see less infractions of the law. This once a year crackdown is just window dressing for the Top Cop

    • Anonymous says:

      No, they caught 39 infractions. Doesn't indicate how many cars they looked at where the registration tag was current, seat belts on, cell phone off and eyes were sharp so they let the person through.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Angelique, we don't have to obey any law because you hardly ever make us. The traffic law is now in effect voluntary. How many of your officers does it take to investigate illegal tint or license plate covers, or failure to signal? How many persons drive daily at over 70mph to and from the Eastern Districts with nothing happening?  Please keep up enforcement agianst all (including your own officers whose driving habits can be outrageous) and then I will stop sniping from the cheap seats. Most of us support your efforts but things have become much too lax around here. What happened to our standards?

  12. Anonymous says:

    RCIPS should do a clampdown throughout the year not just at Xmas

    Using data from he cameras, insurance companies,  and DVLS they should be able to identify all cars that are on the road with out license, insurance etc

     

    Just do  it !

  13. Anonymous says:

    This crackdown should be an everyday routine — speeding— old junkers on the road–I know alot of these junkers could not pass inspection — my car had a faulty backup light (1) and they failed it for that –heaven forbid if they check on the jintney drivers abuse of the traffc laws–maybe next year it will be a daily routine??

  14. Anonymous says:

    Well, acting superintendent.  The public is also very disappointed in the police disservice too.  A Christmas crackdown is actually what you should be doing full time!   I no longer drive at night because I come across, buses and taxis that are very bad drivers, drunk drivers and an incredible number of vehicles driving without lights and many that just drive full beam all the time, but the one car I dont see a lot of are police cars, but drive by GT police station and there are plenty parked there.  Dont see cops on the beat either.

    • caymanianmom says:

      That is so true. When i use to live in east end, i knew exactly what time to past bodden town station. If I were late for work I knew i could speed pass a certain time and no cops would be on the road. Why? Because everyone knew that when there was a shift change ALL officers would hang around the station and chat to each other rather then get straight to work. Im sorry but it is the truth. Of course now i have grown up and follow my laws more since having kids and becoming more mature, but i'm sure i wasn't and won't be the only one who figure out the road in the cayman islands.