Police to face the people in Eastern Districts

(CNS): Starting on Monday 24 November at Bodden Town Primary School people living in the eastern districts will have the opportunity to meet with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) Area Commander, Chief Inspector Richard Barrow and his officers. All members of the Cayman Islands community are also being invited to a special seminar on how they can help ‘design out crime’.

Barrow said he encouraged all residents to attend to attend one of the three eastern meetings in order to hear an update on policing in their community, voice any concerns or ask any questions they may have. Barrow will also be taking members of his team to the United Church Hall in East End on Wednesday 26 November and North Side Civic Centre on Thursday 27 November. All meetings begin at 7:30pm and are expected to last until 9pm.  

Given the recent increase in violent crime, on Saturday, 29 November a joint venture between the RCIPS and the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) will spread important safety messages and address issues around fear of crime within the community by offering a free presentation to all members of the public. Although mainly targeted towards the business community and home owners, all members of the community would be sure to benefit from the seminar.

Devised by RCIPS Inspector Anthony White, who holds a PhD in Criminal Justice, the two hour presentation aims to increase awareness of crime prevention measures, highlight to companies, businesses and home owners what they can do to protect themselves, their customers and their property, and give all Cayman Islands residents some general advice on how to stay safe and protect themselves.

“There is much we can do to help protect ourselves and those around us,” said Dr White. “Some of the steps we can take are relatively simple and low cost but can have a large impact upon how safe people are and how safe they actually feel. It is true that the fear of crime often outweighs the chances of becoming a victim of crime and addressing how safe people feel is key to improving people’s quality of life.”

UCCI have offered their facilities and services at no cost, stating that it’s important these messages are disseminated into the community as wide as possible.

“We all have a duty to take personal safety seriously,” said UCCI President, Dr. BrianChapell. “After some of the events that have taken place recently this is an opportune time to get some of these messages out and the UCCI is more than happy to help facilitate this. The more people who attend, the better.”

The presentation covers many aspects of ‘designing out crime’ covering topics from environmental design to situational crime awareness. Members of the community are encouraged to attend one of twofree sessions. Those wishing to attend are asked to register in advance by sending an e-mail to fightcrime@ucci.edu.ky with the words “fight crime” in the subject line and indicating a preference for the lunchtime or evening session or they can call Leigh Smellie on 526-5045.

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.