Hot Spot team makes arrest for Courts Road assaults

(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) said this morning that they had arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of robbery in connection with the recent Courts Road assaults. The man was arrested in the Eastern Avenue area and remains in custody while enquiries continue. This was just one of what police described as a number of significant arrests made this weekend by the ‘Hot Spot’ team as well as the recovery of ammunition and crack cocaine.

The team is made up of regular police officers and Special Constables and is tasked with addressing burglary offences and focussing on areas where crime has been a problem, such as the Courts Road area as well as liquor licensed premises. A man, aged 24, was stopped and searched in the vicinity of Saturn Close, Eastern Avenue and a large amount of cash and what is believed to be crack cocaine was found on his person. Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine with intent to supply and has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.

In another incident, a number of rounds of shotgun ammunition were recovered by the team following a search of an area on Shedden Road in the vicinity of Archie’s Bar. The team arrested a 32-year-old man who was wanted on suspicion of theft and as part of the enquiries a search of the area resulted in the recovery of the ammunition.

“We’re putting pressure on known offenders and want to bring as many criminals before the court as possible,” said Inspector Bennard Ebanks. “We must work together to do this and have been building excellent relationships with outside partners such as security guards. We have also had a lot of people coming forward and approaching the team with information – I thank all members of the community for their assistance and support.”

Inspector Ebanks also acknowledged the valuable input from members of the Special Constabulary who assist in making the Hot Spot team what it is. “These people come out in their own time to assist the police and do what they can to help keep the Cayman Islands a safe place to live and work,” he said. “They should be commended for their dedication and commitment.”

The team has also been working hard on crime prevention measures and officers have been building links with night-time security officers, educating workers on what suspicious activity they should be on the look out for and what to report to police.

Residents are reminded to assist the police in the fight against crime by always reporting suspicious activity to police and ensuring that measures are taken to lessen the chances of becoming a victim of crime. Homes and vehicles should always be secure and business owners should install CCTV and alarm systems. More advice can be found on www.rcips.ky.

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.