Police round up burglars

(CNS): Burglaries in the islands’ capital in particular have been on the increase since the start of the year, but police say they are making headway in the fight against this crime. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) said that twenty people have been arrested and property has been recovered in the last few weeks. Police said that since 1 January, the number of break-ins taking place have been on the increase, with George Town being the most effected district.

“Burglary has been a problem in the Cayman Islands for a long time and it’s something we continually work hard to address,” said Detective Inspector Kim Evans of the Criminal Investigation Department. “The start of the year saw a spike in offences but we have arrested 20 people over the last few weeks and I am pleased to say that only a few break-ins have been reported so far this week, with some days resulting in nothing being reported. I hope this is a trend that will continue.”

The RCIPS has been employing various measures to tackle the burglaries, most of which have centred on targeting known offenders. Areas which have been hardest hit, such as Walkers Road and Windsor Park, have also been the subject of increased police patrols and high visibility policing.

Evans said there are many things the public can do to help address the problem, including ensuring properties are secure by locking doors and windows, keeping and eye on their neighbourhoods, reporting suspicious behaviour to police and looking out for stolen goods.

“One of the things we are always conscious of is what happens to the stolen goods,” Evans added. “One of the most common items stolen is laptops. What happens to these? If you are offered something for sale at a low price or without all its attachments or manuals for instance, an alarm bell should sound. It should be remembered that handling stolen goods is an offence.”

Anyone with information about burglaries 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.