Another assault at Next Level

| 25/02/2009

(CNS): A visitor from Switzerland was attacked outside Next Level nightclub by two men with a baseball bat and is currently being treated for two broken arms and injuries to his body. Police are appealing for witnesses to the assault which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 24 February, in the car park next to Next Level and behind Triple Crown. This incident happened just 10 days after a security guard was stabbed in his chest and hand at the same nightclub, though police say they are treating the two assaults as isolated incidents.

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) was alerted to Tuesday morning’s attack at around 1:40 am after the 24-year-old victim was taken to hospital by private car. Detectives have learnt that the victim, who is visiting friends in Grand Cayman, had been in the Next Level nightclub. His girlfriend, who realized he had not been seen for some time, went looking for him outside and found him injured in the car park.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time who might have seen what took place,” said Detective Sergeant Winsome Prendergast. “That area can be busy at this time of night with people from the nightclub and surrounding bars. Anyone who was in the area that saw something that can help should contact us as soon as possible.”

The attack on the Swiss visitor follows another serious incident at Next Level that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, 14 February, when a 30-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of wounding the security guard and also for two counts of assaulting police officers who attended the scene. According to the RCIPS, the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call at approximately 1:25 am from a staff member of the nightclub reporting that a man had been injured. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and a knife was recovered. The suspect is currently on police bail, pending further investigations.

Anyone with information about this latest incident is asked to contact DS Prendergast on 949-4222 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.

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  1. Dennie Warren Jr. says:

    To suggest that we return to a 1:00AM closing time is not the answer; the demand for entertainment will simply be met with a supply of after hour parties.  I am not by any means suggesting that attending after hours parties will be any more or less safe, but in the club setting, the music can remain at a festive level, which would most likely not be the case in a private home.  The last thing anyone wants is to have the police called to shut down a party because the neighbors can’t sleep.

    To suggest that Next Level be shutdown is like suggesting that we stop people from driving cars because they may do so while drunk.  All they need to do is improve their security.

  2. Anonymous says:

    It is only a matter of time that a tourist gets murdered at one of these clubs and the news is spread all over the world, CNN, BBC and internet. Then the Cayman Islands will have egg on their face just like Aruba had with the woman who dissappeared.

    What is going on with the RCIP when these crimes are committed again and again? Where is the proactive policing?

    If the nightclubs need 4 or 6 security guards outside the property to keep order so be it. If the RCIP need to keep a cruiser with 2 officers so be it.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Yeah, 2 broken arms for a souvenir!  Does one ever stop to think the brute force they were pummelling him with that bat in order to break both of his arms?  Does one ever stop to think that would have been his head but obviously he was sheilding his head with his arms and that is why he is probably not dead with a busted open brain?

    That is serious brute force, they intended to kill him!  Hopefully they will be charged, found guilty and sentenced, and put in prison for attempted murder for at least 10 years!!!

    All parking lots in the vicinity of where people hang around and drink and get intoxicated definately do need to have security cameras and extra security.  Security officers only cost $9.00 per hour, so these barrooms make alot of money off of selling liquor, don’t tell me they can’t afford to have a few security officers!  The owners are being non-caring and selfish of their customers, because they know that they do not provide enough parking space and that their customers have to park in adjoining parking lots, and they should be more than happy to go the extra to make their customers safe!

    The barroom owners are greedy and selfish!

    That is the underlying problem!!!!  They don’t want to spend enough money on what it takes to make their customers safe with more security officers and cameras.  And it wouldn’t financially hurt them, they are just plain selfish, non-caring and greedy and don’t care about human life!!! They are to blame!!!!  

    And as I mentioned in the stabbing of the security guard incident, go back to 1am lockdown time!!!!  It won’t stop all of the problems with violence at night clubs but it will stop alot of it!!!  1am lockdown time was working fine, it is the barroom owners who pushed for 3am so they could make more liquor sales and make more money!!!  SHAME ON THE BARROOM OWNERS!!!

  4. RKM says:

    Have you ever been to South Beach, Club Districts in LA or Toronto? The Police are parked out there as a form of  PREVENTATIVE POLICING. You don’t think they notice that the majority of their disturbances are from these places on the weekends and after hours? So by the show of force beforehand, people are deterred from getting into any unwanted activities. Actually cutting down their work in the end.

    Next Level or any other club for that matter cannot be responsible for what happens outside its walls. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure it would be of concern to them and kudos to them if they chose to be pro-active in solving the problem. But at the end of the day its the RCIP’s job to "protect and serve" and if you think it will be a burden on resources to do so, take a page out of what they are learnt in other places (North America used in my examples) and realise they are actually reducing the risk of disturbances which has an obvious trickle down effect on the ‘bottom line’.

    RKM.

  5. Marek says:

    I am all for free enterprise and the owners right to do business. But with business comes resposibility.

    By way of example, no car rental agency would rent a car to somebody who was clearly intoxicated. They could just ignor the obvious thinking only of the rental fee… but instead act responsibily … deferring the potential income… because of the obvious dangers.

    Our local bars… DO NOT act responsibily with very few exceptions. All of you reading this, consider how many times have you seen somebody getting sick in a club? How many times have you seen somebody passed out… or staggering around a club?

    I can’t tell you the number of times I have been in a local club and seen bartenders serving shots to people who are clearly drunk and barely able to stand.

    There are a number of clubs I no longer go to because the people there are simply too drunk and whenever that happens… there is bound to be trouble.

    I often see where fights will break out and the security guards will eject both parties. This is simply WRONG… the correct thing to do is to eject ONE of the two people involved, isolate the other and then after things have calmed down have security escort one away from the club.

    Ejecting both into the street is saying ‘what happens outside is not our problem’ when in fact it very much is their problem and the sooner they learn that the better off they will all be.

    For the posters saying Next Level is not responsible that just isn’t the case. Calico Jack’s could say it’s not responsible for all the empty glasses on the beach… but they are… they know they are and they have people clean the beach to collect ‘thier’ empty cans/glasses. That’s just good business.

    The crowds are attracted because Next Level is there… patrons or not … that makes it ‘thier’ problem… they have a business responsiility to protect thier patrons both inside and outside their place of business.

     

     

     

  6. Anonymous says:

    I agree with the last writer.  Next Level is not to blame.  As a girl coming into the club, I feel alot safer inside there with all the Security they have now.  What happens outside no one can handle and it is not fair to blame Next Level because they cannot control who wants to hang out in a parking lot next door to them.

    I would suggest that Next Level and the surrounding businesses hire additional security to hang outside the parking lots to make sure that the guest are seen safely to their cars.

    I had a night when I was alone walking to my car parked over behind triple crown and some guys started following me. I was a little scared but I walked faster to my car and got in an locked the doors.  They need outside Security for reasons like that.  It can happen anywhere. Not just Next Level.  Look at Estella Scott.  She was at a very nice restaurant and got taken in the parking lot next door.  Lets not make that happen again.

    Next Level should not be blamed. But they can help the situation with outside Security.  Right now I think only one guard is at the door.

    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t think it’s fair to drag section 16 into this. Let’s be honest, the thugs who beat this guy up are not likely the one’s to be brainwashed by pastors etc, or reading newspapers and keeping abreast of constitutional issues.

      Nevertheless, I am not in favour of section 16 being ammended to include equal rights for all residents. The government cannot afford it, and Cayman as a whole cannot afford it, but that’s another arguement for another day.

  7. Anonymous says:

    You cannot blame The Next Level for the violence happening outside of its doors.

    I have been going to Next Level recently and the Security there is quite different from a year ago. I feel alot safer at the club and the Security have been keeping the bad people out.

    What alot of people do not realise is that many people hang in that area.  You have L.I. in walking distance and right next door in the Marquee Plaza is Power Supply Bar.  That place breeds scum.  Do they have Security over there? I do not think they have any there at that bar and their customers hang out and smoke weed and make trouble for any passer by.

    You cannot blame a night club that is actually doing their best to make their property safe.  It is sad that this guy got injured but you cannot point fingers.

    If the Police know that a particular club is popular on a particular night.  They need to get out there and patrol that area and keep their police officers stationed there so that when a problem arises that Security cannot handle then the Police can step in.  It is only then that we can make a place 100% safe.

    Keep up the good work Next Level Night Club and Police PLEASE HELP THEM OUT!!!

  8. Anonymous says:

    If you think a security guard is the answer then you are underestimating the levels of violence we are facing here. Much more is needed, the levels of violence and weapons are much more than an unarmed security guard could handle.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I think we should put cameras in Public places like the UK does., if thats what it takes to help protect our tourism industry.  I hate to think of the damage done with this one incident alone. This poor fellow is taking not one but two broken arms home as his "souvenir" from the friendly Cayman Islands. If these people are apprehended, an extreme example should be set. We ALL suffer from this.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Next Level being on one of the most popular stretches of beach front and where the tourists population is the greatest – i would suggest that they close the business down.  Next level are obviously not doing sufficient to ensure that their patrons are acting in a proper and civilised manner.    How must it feel to come and vacation and go home with two broken arms.  It defies logic.  Why are we always blaming the police when it is the youth in Cayman who have now developed this yob and gang culture and the parents are not being held accountable either.    The majority dont need to complain they need to act – remember to vote!!  These are very sad times that we are living in here in Cayman – it used to be such a wonderfully safe and happy place.

  11. Anonymous says:

     

    Surely it would be better to have policemen/woman at each licenced premises over the weekends starting now than to lose a life which, the way things seem to be going, is inevitable? I would rather be monitored by the authorities than to see another person beaten, raped or killed.

    I wonder what led up to this? My first thought was that the victim was presumed gay by those that attacked with all the noise being made at the moment about Section 16 and as the Church has effectively sanctioned the abuse of homosexuals the attackers felt they could do as they pleased ………IF this is the case watch for more attacks..particularly if Section 16 passes as is.. frightening times indeed for our country.

  12. Anonymous says:

    They need a security guard out in that parking lot from midnight on, that is all! Not just standing at the door, but over there in that parking lot because there is a heck of a lot of loitering in that parking lot from the bar over there next to Marquee Cinema as well.

    The solution seems simple, but the Club doesn’t seem to want to play its part at all, unless they too are afraid that their security guard will also be harmed. The police can patrol and make their presence know for 5 minutes, but securit guard can be posted out there in that lot for a few hours.

    Clubs are not only busy on Friday/Saturday nites. Monday is big at Next Level as is Wednesay nite. Each club has its popular nights and this goes to show you it is not only on the weekend.

    Come on Club owners/management, make your parking lots safer too!

  13. Sounder says:

    If I’m not mistaken, Monday night is all you can drink for $15 night at Next Level. As much booze as you can drink until very late combined with tourists, expats and locals mixing is a recipe for trouble. Why the surprise when trouble happens?

    Next Level may not be directly to blame, but surely some of the responsibility lies with what they are offering. Maybe they should have to bear the cost of additional security to prevent such incidents going forward.

  14. Anonymous says:

    It’s a cheap solution to revoke the license – but how effective? Surely the troublemakerswould just move on to a different spot. The idea is to reduce crime not to shuffle it around to different areas. Plus there’s no indication in these reports that Next Level are to blame. Why should they be punished?

  15. Anonymous says:

    Cheapest Solution:

    Revoke the Next Level’s Business and Liquor License.

    Done

     

  16. Colin Wilson says:

    How much will it cost the police or the government to put surveillance cameras in areas like this?

    For one it will catch the suspects or even better deter this kind of behavior.

    The UK does it with tons of success.

    This could save on property damage, physical injury and possible deaths.

  17. Anonymous says:

    I think that the RCIP might have been on to something when they made the linkage between some night spots and crime. Now what to do about it???