Archive for August, 2008
Fourth armed robbery in GT
(CNS): A security guard was robbed by two masked men in the early hours of Sunday morning, the fourth robbery in George Town in less than two weeks. Two days ago a masked man with a machete stole cash from McRuss Grocery Store, Party Lane. On Thursday, 31 July on School Road, a man sitting in his car was robbed at gunpoint, and on Friday, 1 August, two men armed with handguns stole cash from Pet Pro’s on Crewe Road.
In the latest incident, the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received information at approximately 12:15 am that a security guard had been robbed behind Hard Rock Café in George Town. Police responded to the scene and were told that the man had been working alone when he was approached by two masked men, one of which appeared to be carrying a handgun. The victim told police the offenders demanded he hand over anything he had.
The victim, who was not hurt in the incident, gave the men a number of items including a wallet and a bag and the men made off on foot. One of the offenders is described as slim while the other is medium build. Both are described as dark skinned, wearing dark masks and dark clothes and were each around 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9ins tall.
“This is the latest robbery which has involved offenders carrying weapons of some sort and we are doing all we can to identify these people and bring them to justice,” commented Chief Inspector Peter Kennett of the Criminal Investigation Department.
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is taking a number of measures to solve these cases and prevent more from occurring, including examining forensic evidence, analyzing intelligence and reviewing disruption strategies and deployment of resources.
“We are looking at all cases to see if they could be connected and if there is any pattern or similarity. It’s a little early to say for sure if we are looking for the same men or different men in each case,” commented Kennett. “What we can say is that we need to identify these offenders before someone gets seriously hurt.”
Residents and businesses are also being asked to do all they can to lessen the chances of becoming a victim of robbery. “Businesses should consider reviewing their security measures, such as cash handling procedures, staff training and the use of CCTV and alarms,” advised Kennett. “All residents should be mindful of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious activity to police immediately.”
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Crime tackled in West Bay
(CNS): A series of drug raids were carried out over the weekend by officers from the West Bay Police Station, along with assistance from the K9 Department. According to police, on Friday evening, 8 August, a quantity of ganja, thought to be packaged for sale, was found off Watercourse Road, behind Super C restaurant. One person was taken into custody for questioning and one car was seized for examination, while the identity of three people suspected of being involved with the illegal drugs, who ran from police on foot and made good their escape, is being investigated rigorously by the police.
In a separate operation, two unlicensed spear guns were seized from a house in Capt. Joe and Osbert Road off Birch Tree Hill.
Roads were also targeted over the weekend; three traffic operations were carried out in the district at different locations resulting in 15 prosecutions for traffic violations such as speeding, using a vehicle with an expired registration and driving with no insurance.
Chief Inspector Howell commended the West Bay officers and the K9 Department for their hard work in trying to detect and deter criminality within the district. Howell confirmed that these types of operations would continue and encouraged the community to work with the police to address crime by coming forward with information and reporting suspicious behaviour.
“It is important to note that if you call your local police station with information you do not need to identify yourself, even if you are asked to do so,” said Howell. “We are working hard in West Bay to help build positive relationships with the community in an effort to fight crime together in partnership.”
A community meeting will be held this Friday, 15 August, between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm in the vicinity of Kelly’s bar for residents in the Birch Tree Hill and Rev Blackman Road areas. Those attending will have the opportunity to speak with their local officers and Area Commander Howell about policing in West Bay.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling crime stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Push for road safety in Bodden Town
(CNS): A joint police and Vehicle Licensing Department operation resulted in 21 people being prosecuted for various traffic offences and one person being arrested on an outstanding warrant. The operation was conducted Thursday, 7 August 7 on Bodden Town Road in the vicinity of Savannah Meadows by officers from the Bodden Town police station and vehicle license inspectors.
Under the traffic law (2003) vehicle license inspectors are permitted to conduct roadside checks.
“Road safety should be a concern for all Cayman Islands residents,” said Sergeant Sharon Campbell-Dyke from Bodden Town. “Whenever you get behind the wheel, whether it be for work or pleasure purposes you should consider if you are doing so safely. Businesses also have a responsibility to ensure their vehicles are good working condition.”
The Streetskill campaign, launched on May 1 2006 by the National Roads Authority (NRA), the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) and the Cayman Islands Road Safety Advisory Council (CIRSAC)), is aimed at educating motorists and influencing their behaviour and will continue throughout 2008.
Organisers are looking for feedback on the campaign and welcome ideas and thoughts from the community. Residents are encouraged to contact deborah.denis@gov.ky – 244-3004 or marion.pandohie@gov.ky – 244-5865. Any individual or business interested in supporting the Streetskill campaign should contact either Deborah Denis or Marion Pandohie.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact
their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling crime
stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their
information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
One chance to see “One White, One Black”
(CNS): "One White, One Black", a play by Frank Mcfield and produced by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF), opens for one night only on Saturday 16 August at the Harquail Studio Theatre before the cast and crew take the play to Guyana as Cayman’s theatre offering at the 10th Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA).
The play is directed by CNCF Artistic Director Henry Muttoo, and stars Frits McPhearson and Quincy Brown, who play two artists, one a drummer and the other a writer, that have hit rock bottom. They have both failed in their married relationships and must depend upon each other to be the mirror that reflects their past, so that they can understand their current predicament. As they interact, helping each other to explore past relationships, deep feelings are stirred. In the end, a tighter bond of friendship develops as they discover the truth about themselves.
There are only forty seats available for Saturday’s performance, which starts at 7:00 pm. Admission is free but there are only a few seats left. The play is for adults 18 years and older, and no one will be admitted with a child. After the performance, there will be having a "Talk Back" session with the audience to discuss the play.
During the 10-day CARIFESTA in Guyana, there will be three performances: 6:00 pm on 23 August at Berbice High School, and 7:00 pm on 25 and 26 August at the Theatre Guild Playhouse, Georgetown.
CARIFESTA, a festival to promote the Arts in the Caribbean Region, was first started in Guyana in 1972, and from its inception the festival sought to inspire Caribbean cultural practitioners to innovate new art forms, while providing an outlet for those that already existed. It will be held this year across Guyana 22 to 31August.
Fraser beats personal best
(CNS): On Sunday 10 August, Shaune Fraser, the first Cayman Islands athlete to take part in the Beijing Olympics, set a new personal best in the 200-metre freestyle, considered his strongest event, finishing fifth in his heat with a time of 1:48.60.
However, with a ranking of 26 out of 57 swimmers in this event, it was not enough to get him into the top 16 spots to make the semi-finals, with Dominik Meichtry of Switzerland (1:45.80), Jean Basson of South Africa (1:46.31), Bren Hayden of Canada (1:46.40), Michael Phelps of USA (1:46.48) and Colin Russell of Canada (1:46.58) taking the top five spots.
On Tuesday Michael Phelps won the event and his third gold medal at Beijing, breaking his own world record for 200m freestyle in the process. The American touched in 1 minute, 42.96 seconds, lowering his old mark of 1:43.86 set at last year’s world championships in Australia.
Fraser said of his own performance, "I should have been happy with it but I think I could have gone a little faster. I am just trying to get ready for my other events now like my 100 freestyle. That should be a good one."
"There was a lot of pressure and expectation on him for this event," said Cayman Swimming Coach Dominic Ross. "He wanted to do well and he dropped his time. But now that it is out of the way he can move on to other events."
Shaune is also competing in the 100-metre freestyle heat today, Tuesday, and the 100-metre butterfly (heats on Thursday). His brother Brett Fraser is competing in the 200-metre backstroke (heat on Wednesday).
"Everything is still settling in," said Brett. "The atmosphere is just crazy. The relay today just got me really hyped up. I am really into the Games now and everything is exciting. I am really looking forward to when I have to swim.”
Escapees back in custody
(CNS): All 23 Cuban migrants who escaped from the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) last Thursday night (7 August), are now back in custody, officials at the Immigration Department have confirmed. Acting Chief Immigration Officer Kerry Nixon praised Immigration officers and members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) for resolving this situation quickly and effectively. She also thanked members of the public for their vigilance and cooperation.
CAL looking at smaller jets
(CNS): Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) is negotiating with a number of companies for the acquisition of two 70-seater jet planes, to be brought on line this winter season, Sister Islands MLA Moses Kirkconnell has said. The airline is looking at new routes that the smaller planes could service, as well as flights to Cayman Brac, which would provide more tools to attract tourists and build the economy, he said.
With the current rise on fuel prices, airlines are sizing planes with routes, and CAL was following suit, Kirkconnell told about 200 people gathered at a public meeting outside Kirkconnell’s Market on Cayman Brac Thursday night. He said the management of CAL had been directed to look at how to meet the needs of Cayman Brac and initially looked at a turbo-prop plane, the Saab 2000. However, with oil prices climbing every day, it was decided that this was no longer the best option.
The Board and management of CAL was now looking at 70-seater jets to service routes between the Brac and South Florida, most likely Miami, starting December, so that private business could build on the island. With the new planes, the Brac would be less isolated and would be a better destination and a lot better place to do business, Kirkconnell maintained.
No acceptable level of corruption
The public has been offering information about alleged irregularities within the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) since the announcement about the independent investigation into police corruption was first made last March. Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger said the very next day he started to get phone calls raising concerns about corruption and other integrity issues.
A large number of people have contacted him, many from within the police itself, and continue to do so, Bridger told people at the first public meeting about the investigation, held on Friday afternoon, 8 August, on Cayman Brac at the Seamen’s and Veterans’ Centre. Five separate people had called him that day, he said, emphasising that he would never indicate who or about what. Now, he is assessing the intelligence and will look at each allegation.
When people do have the courage to come forward, they must be supported all the way, even possibly to court. “If they’ve shown courage then we must help them through the process.”
However, he continued, “If I went home tomorrow, I will not have made a lot of difference. This is not just about my team arresting individuals and then going away.” One thing that has been learned from similar processes in the UK and in Northern Ireland is that you must leave a better police service for the future, Bridger noted.
Dealing with corruption in London’s Metropolitan Police Service, he said some officers went to jail, “but what we didn’t do was look carefully at the preventative side.” On the other hand, it is not possible to start with prevention without dealing with the corruption first, and he was satisfied that the process was on the correct path, he said.
In answer to a question from a member of the public about whether, given the response, there would be a permanent office set up to investigate the police, Bridger said that there had been preliminary discussions within government.
In the UK, an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has its own officers and its own lawyers, he explained. Bridger also has experience in the Police Ombudsman’s Office in Northern Ireland, where he said they investigated everything from incivility right up to murder.
“The police have a unique culture. When you’re working with people day and night and share experiences, and you see colleagues doing something they shouldn’t, it’s really hard to report it.”
Answering a question about the difficulties of policing in a small community, even for an independent department, Bridger again drew on his experience in Northern Ireland as precedent. There was more to be done regarding the leadership in the RCIPS to establish the ethics and values, and what is acceptable. “If we get the organisation functioning properly, there will not be so many complaints,” he said.
“There is no acceptable level of corruption,” Bridger told CNS after the meeting. He asked if, hypothetically, a police officer helped a person who was legitimately put under arrest for such crimes as gambling or drinking and driving, where would it stop? When would the crimes become too serious and who would make that decision?
“It leads to confusion and there must be clarity. Police officers swear an oath to uphold the law and the community must have expectations that they will uphold it without fear or favour. The law is the law,” he said.
Anyone who has information related to any of the enquiries can call Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger on 927 2981.
Police Chief to be interviewed soon
At a public meeting on Cayman Brac on Friday, Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger indicated that he would be interviewing Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan in the near future in relation to the independent special investigation into police corruption.
Bridger was responding to a question from Spot Bay resident Hindenberg Dixon, the father of Deputy Police Commissioner Rudolf Dixon, who is facing a number of charges in relation to the investigation. DPC Dixon, together with Kernohan and Chief Superintendent John Jones, were placed on required leave in March this year pending the investigation, and Hindenberg Dixon wanted to know why Kernohan and Jones had been allowed to go to England while his son was facing charges in court, suggesting that the three were not being dealt with evenly.
“I ever were law abiding and had respect for my government and think that’s why (Rudolf Dixon) fell into the police business at 17,” said Dixon. “I feel that if he made a mistake, then he made a mistake, but all three should go through the punishment.”
Bridger explained at the meeting that he was now managing three investigations, one involving former Cayman Net News employee Lyndon Martin, one involving Kernohan and Jones and a third involving Dixon, and the investigations were not at the same stage.
Recapping the situation, Bridger said he had been asked to conduct the special investigation because of allegations of a systematic leak of daily police operations that, if true, could put police officers in jeopardy. Kernohan had made the decision, supported by the Governor, to seek outside assistance.
These allegations made by Martin against Net News Publisher Desmond Seales and DPC Anthony Ennis were found to be “a tissue of lies”, said Bridger, and Martin is now facing charges relating to lying to police and a range of other offenses.
Regarding Seales, he said, “I have listened to rumour, innuendo and mischief making, but in the end I have to go with the facts, which are that he was unfairly accused.” While it soon became clear that the allegations didn’t add up, the events leading up to the entry into Seales’ office by Net News employee on 3 September led to the suspension of Kernohan and Jones.
As he was investigating the original allegations, people came forward with additional allegations against other individuals including Rudolf Dixon, said Bridger, refusing to discuss the charges, which are now before the courts.
Kernohan is still in the UK on compassionate leave. However, while he was not yet ready to interview him, he said it “won’t be too long”.
Anyone who has information related to any of the enquiries can call Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger on 927 2981.
Executives face court over fuel surcharge fixing
(The Guardian): Four current and former British Airways executives face up to five years in jail after being charged with price-fixing offences yesterday, paving the way for the UK’s most high-profile cartel trial. The case will be the biggest criminal prosecution yet under the 2002 Enterprise Act and will bring further embarrassment for BA and Virgin Atlantic, who have admitted colluding over setting fuel surcharges on flights. Go To article