Fight crime for free

(CNS): Residents are being given an opportunity to learn how to ‘design out crime’ as a result of a joint venture by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) and the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI). The two organisations have joined forces to help 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 this weekend.

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 came onboard with the project to offer 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. Brian Chapell. “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 two sessions taking place on Saturday, November 29 and there will be no cost to those attending. Additional sessions will be added as necessary to meet demands.

Two sessions are available on Saturday, Nov ember 29: 12pm – 2pm or 6pm – 8pm. To ensure that organisers can accommodate all those wishing to attend, people 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.