Couple robbed in Governor’s Square

| 04/07/2010

(CNS): Police are now investigation a reported armed robbery of a man and a woman in Governor’s Square, West Bay Road on Saturday (3 July). At about 8:10 yesterday evening police officers from the George Town Police Station responded to a the robbery report at the car park. The couple said two men, one armed with what appeared to be a hand gun, had approached them, made threats and demanded cash and then made off with a bag containing an undisclosed sum of money. No one was hurt during the incident and police are now calling for witnesses to come forward.

Detective Constable Paul Enniss of George Town CID is appealing for anyone who was in the area around the relevant time who could have witnessed the robbery or may have seen the suspects fleeing the scene to come forward with information.
Anyone with information should call George Town police station on 949-4222 or Crime Stoppers 800-8477 (TIPS)
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  1. Anonymous says:

    My bet is that McChavez has done a deal with Cuba to ship prisoners over there. Northward is already full past capicity and the gov can’t afford any more tv’s.

    If this lot are smart, Baines is waiting to do a sweep on all criminals, get them processed thru the courts fast and ship prisoners to Cuba…using Cayman Airways…aka…Conman Airways…

    I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

    No chance of it happening…

     

     

  2. Anonymous says:

    The police should have a stronger presence in these commercial and other areas.

  3. whodatis says:

    Dear Kent,

    Re: The "thumbs downs".

    You have dared to criticize a member of the infallible British society on this forum. Such actions are not welcomed or tolerated. You really ought to know better by now.

    So yes, you will be thumbed down but rather than leave an accompanying comment, a few of your responders will instead focus on the most insignificant and perhaps erroneous point of your comment and attack it with a truckload of facts and statistics – all to demonstrate how "ridiculous" was your, in reality, excellent post.

    Kent, many is our midst are only concerned with saving (national) face, ignore them and continue to express yourself in whatever way you see fit.

    Sincerely,

    whodatis

    • O'Really says:

      Once again you let your dislike for all things British blind you.

      I have read Kent’s posts ( they are below on this thread ) and they do not criticise  Baines, they simply ask him to consider if he is the right man for the job. The posts certainly don’t have a go at Baines because he is British, that’s just in your mind. Try to focus.

      You’ve got some beauties in your post this morning!! How about "…attack it with a truckload of facts and statistics…" Quite right, no need to let facts get in the way of a good rant.

      Or how about "…many is our midst are only concerned with saving (national) face…." although I find myself having to agree with you here, the need to save face is very much a Caymanian trait.

      • whodatis says:

        Dear O’Really,

        What would you do without me – huh?

        :o)

        (Btw, I do hope that you are a litigator … if I am ever in trouble I am coming directly to you! Take care.)

    • Johnny English. says:

      Whodatis

      Gotta Agree with yiu on this one.

  4. Tim Ridley says:

    Muggers exist the world over. I have been mugged in Buenos Aires and Quito in broad daylight in high class areas with respectable locals looking on and doing nothing. Fortunately, the muggers were incompetent (broken bottles) and we (perhaps foolishly) saw them off, rather than hand over anything.

    My son has been mugged at knifepoint in London walking from a pub in a respectable area to the tube home. And my car was regularly broken into even though it was parked opposite a military barracks on Albany Road, near Regent’s Park.

    Rather than comparing Cayman with other places, we should focus on dealing with the real and growing problems here. For starters, a helicopter is not going to stop muggers. That must be obvious. We need feet on the ground, not police in the air or in airconditioned patrol cars.

  5. Caymanians for Serious Policing says:

    There was an argument that if the ‘good folks” and the Police were armed then the criminals would take up arms as well.

    It is clear that the criminals are already ahead of that curve. The country must have a more liberal gun ownership policy now. Criminals will think twice if they are not sure if you have a gun or not.

    I know the response to this already however think of the deterrent if the security guards were known to be armed and some random number of private citizens were also likely to shoot back? Sooner or later these robbers are going to go into the wrong place.

    And if one does not want to protect themselves and their family, they can leave it to the police to do so. Not mandatory. I also support the camera concept but realize that this is only to aid in identifying the criminals AFTER the crime has been committed. We need a deterrent prior to it occurring.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I live in the Governors Harbor area right near to Commissioner Baines and I am amazed, granted thankful, at how often our area is patrolled by police cars and quite often a noisy police helicopter.

    Whilst I know that we should take care of our high ranking officials, wouldn’t this money be better spent patrolling elsewhere? Governors Harbor is not a very high crime area and I think the Commissioner should feel safe living in our neighborhood. We are but a stones throw from where this crime was committed and the Police Training Unit is situated right there at Governors Square. Do you mean totell me with all of the resources deployed in Governors Harbor and Governors Square that something like this could happen right under their nose.

    Whilst I don’t know the man personally and he really has made no great strides introducing himself to the neighborhood, I am very concerned that he is very misguided in his focus. Crime has continued on the rise since he has been here and he seems more concerned about protecting himself and chatting on talk shows about how good the force is while crime escalates in the streets.

    Again, I thank the Commissioner for the many patrols and for keeping our neighborhood safe but cut this back to half and put these guys to work elsewhere. Don’t worry, we will watch the neighborhood for you, that’s what we did long before you came along.

     

    • nobby & coppers says:

      Misguided by the same dudes who saw this place go sideways same people who are accompaning him to the same talk shows same dudes who push good people out of RCIPS to be replaced by cronies and the current crowd who can sure talk a good game. Same ones arranging overseas courses for da boss. Back in the saddle again i see poor old  Mr.Kernohan found out too late.

    • Anonymous says:

      MMMMM…….I see the helicopter in all areas of the island at all times of the day and night – that Mr Baines sure does move about a lot !!

      And as for those lazy good for nothing recruits who live 24/7 atGovernors Square how could they let this happen right under thier noses !! Look at the time it happened and use some common sense please! Really good points being made here (not).

       

      Perhaps when you know a bit about crime, patrolling  etc you should feel confident and competent enough to make comment . But just for info  – being a near neighbour of a high ranking policeman does not qualify you for that. Here’s a radical thought – perhaps if you made an effort to speak to him and show some neighborly hospitality you’d learn something.

      I live right near to a pilot – now where’s my keys to that 747 I’d just love to take it for a spin ;o) after all doesn’t living ‘right near’ to him make me an instant expert ?

       

       

      • Anonymous says:

        Wow, you must be a police officer as you seem to know all about police work. The person writing the email didn’t claim to be an expert but suggested that the assets deployed in Governors Harbor patrolling up and down the street where the Comissioner lives could be deployed elsewhere to fight crime which I believe is understandable.

        I live on the same street as the writer and I can tell you that in my 15 plus years of living here, I have never seen so many police cars patrolling in my neighborhood until he moved in. Makes one wonder though if he is the top police officer, why can’t he take care of himself and is his life being threatened that he constantly needs security?

        I have to tell you it makes me feel very uneasy to have police cars constantly up and down my streets and a helicopter hovering over me day in and day out. That is no way to live for anyone and to be honest I am glad that he has kept tohimself and believe me it’s not because we are not neighborly, I think that has been his choice not ours. I am sure he does this for his own protection and for others so as not to place them in harms way but we have had police commissioners in the past and I have never heard of all of this security detail happening.

        I think all we are asking without getting into the police commissioner’s business is to give us a break in Governors Harbor and use those police officers to fight crime where there is crime.

        We are good neighbors and we look out for each other. If the Police Commissioner asks us to be neighborly and keep a watch on his place for him, we will gladly do so.

         

  7. Da people are tired says:

    We can complain and whine all we want and the new trend for the colonial dummy is to blame the public. Which by the way is woefully  outrageous. This is now getting very very stale and the idiots that keep doing it obviously need a reality check, which if crime keeps up this way they surely will. A poster sometime back said that if Mr Baines did not change the people incharge when this crime situation began very little would change and it hasn’t. We have seen enormous cost in lives the public safety and our financial position and Cayman hemorrhages daily. I am much afraid that the current and ever changing dynamics of crime in Cayman are going to catch us once again with same old tired tactics & strategy and the same old tired people in the same old tired positions with the same old tired excuses blaming the same old tired public.

  8. Save us from West Bay says:

    Can we PLEASE PLEASE get a permanent roadblock to check EVERYONE going through the 4 Way at West Bay.  Yes, I know some good people live there, but so do almost all the gun toters, crackheads and professional criminals.

    • Anonymous says:

      If you roadblock west bay the criminals will simply move elsewhere. East End, North Side, Bodden Town, Savannah Newlands and George Town all have areas where criminals can and do exist.

      How about suggesting that the districts do a clean up and turn over all known criminals to the RCIPS. Do that and then if the RCIPS fails to deal with them  we can place the blame where blame lies.

      Condoning criminal activity is the root cause of all the crime happening in these islands and there are many  who hide the criminals either for fear or a willingness to do so.

      Whatever happened to the neighbourhood crime watch. I dont recall any criminal being turned in via that route recently.

    • Anonymous says:

      YOU AGAIN!!!  How long are you going to make your brain corrode??? Please THINK!!!!  Don’t you realize how many people from the other districts have moved to West Bay and other nationalities who live there now? GO take a count. Blocking the 4 Way alone has little effect on Governor’s Square – that’s  7 mile beach area and people come from all over the island who visit there – all roads would have to be blocked as all roads have access there!!!  Please post sensible comments not stupidness!!!   

      • Save Us From West Bay says:

        Aside from blatant xenophobia and districtphobia in your statement "Don’t you realize how many people from the other districts have moved to West Bay and other nationalities who live there now?", according to your point, these people are now in West Bay so the road block would stop them too. 

    • Anonymous says:

      To: .. "but so do almost all the gun toters, crackheads and professional criminals." 

      Have you checked your own district & all the others recently??!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Here’s an odd concept:  believe it or not there are actually other roads that people can drive on other than through the 4 way stop.  Here’s another strange but possibly true concept:  ther just may be "gun toters, crackheads and professional criminals" outside of WestBay…  Odd, but possibly true.

    • Common Sense says:

      As the second largest populated district, West Bay does have its share of criminals and crime but where in Cayman is crime non-existent?  The last time I checked, murders, rapes, robberies, burglaries and car jackings are happening all over the island, east to west and north to south.

      So please tell the rest of us where you live as we would all like to move there…bone head!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Gun toters and crackheads are dangers to any society, but their actions are easily mitigated. I have much greater fear of the acts, or the long-term effect of those acts, committed by one individual who passes through that 4-way stop in a government owned vehicle and driver paid for by us the people.

    • San Andreas says:

      Well said.  We all know it to be true.  I suspect at least a dozen of the "terrible 15" live (or lived) up there.

  9. Anonymous says:

    WHAT HAS THE UDP DONE ABOUT ALL THIS CRIME

    "NOTHING"  because McChavez is always off the island living the high life instead of doing his job, and he wonders why the media and the public has so much to say about him. We will end up having a tourist killed and our tourism industry will be finished like Antigua and Aruba. It will all be the fault of the Big McChevez for doing nothing.

    • Caymanians against silly posts says:

      News Flash!…. the police, internal and external security is the remit of the Governor not the local politicians.
      All the local chaps can do is stop funding the Police…not sure that will have desired effect. Even the new committee in the Constitution will be little controlled by the politicians, and rightly so. Can you say Dudas/JLP/PPM?

      Lets stop the UDP/PPM nonsense before it gets to the situation in Jamaica.

  10. Anon says:

    This apparently was a targeted robery, not a random event. So please do not make this out to be more than it is and scare people into making rash decisions or choices.

    • Kent says:

      yes and what is your point? This is armed robbery!

    • NorthSideSue says:

      Just how do you know this?

    • Anonymous says:

      I agree, what was your point — targeted or not this was a crime. If this couple used cash to pay for their groceries, would it make sense then to think they would have more $$ in their bag, it could have been that simple. When do you or I become the target?? 

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes it was a crime and an armed robbery at that, so it was very bad. However, this does not seem to be about grocery money. You & I can walk around in the evening and go shopping with very little chance of being robbed. What we should not do is travel around with large cash amounts, e.g. the day’s takings from a business especially when it is known that we do it. That is when you stand more chance of being targeted. Be smarter and do not provide easy opportunities for criminals.

        I do hope that the RCIPS can apprehend these thugs.

  11. Kent says:

    David Baines should step down as the RCIP head if he can not get this under control in very, VERY short order.  We see in the headlines that Big Mac has met with the Cubans to increase our tourism product, but the rising crime and even worse the perception of the crime that is seen by those who would visit Cayman is basically going unchecked.  It seems like we are getting our priorities mixed up. And lets not forget those of us who call this home, or those who are the unfortunate victims. I am not posting this to simply jump on a bandwagon of "Off with their heads" but in such a small community as Cayman, and without the issues of border crossing… it seems honestly unbelievable that a misguided violent young man that attempeted to murder a innocent woman can be loose in our society for a month without being captured, and the police know who he is, and where he comes from.  So how is anyone to believe that if there isn’t a positive ID for a crime that the RCIP has anything close to a chance of catching the criminal? And forget about preventing the crime. 

    Unfortunately Cayman with the ~360 officers to police ~60,000 people ( a ration of 1:166 in comparison to cities in the USA that have a ratio of 1:380) and the advantage of closed borders we can not neutralize the apparent rise in serious crimes. Why?

    I am not pointing at Mr. Baines personally, but with any situation if you have issues you go to the top, and find the answers and solutions, and if there isn’t resolution you find a new leader, if you don’t believe me take a peak at what is happening at BP.  I admit that Mr. Baines probably had no idea what he was in for.  I don’t think anyone honestly thought Cayman would have gone this far down this road, I didn’t! Unfortuantely we have.  I am asking Mr. Baines to please take a deep look inside himself and reflect on who he is and what he is prepared to do in order to gain control of this escalating situation.  Mr. Baines are you the right man for the job?  I personally would harbor no ill will if you were to say you were not.  In fact I would respect the hell out of you.  I ask you for the sake of those who do not have the option of moving off of Cayman if it gets that bad.  For those who didn’t come to Cayman for a $100k+ contract and the perk of scuba diving at will.  I pray that if you look deep inside and you decide you are the right man, that you will stand up to those above you and are not allowing you to do the things you have to do in order to accomplish your objectives.  I pray that you will gain the respect of your entire force and unify them into a cohesive unit that understands this is way more than a paycheck, or job; this is the lives of victim, this is the livelihood of our citizenship and residence.  This is a situation that is way beyond self! 

    Please Mr. Baines do the right thing, do it now, and if you decide you are the man for the job and you are hindered by the powers that be, please have the heart to let the people know, as it is our future that sits in your hands.

    May God bless you in you efforts,

    Kent McTaggart

    • Anonymous says:

      Cayman’s 2009 population figure is c. 52,830 – that being the case your ratio needs adjusting to 1:467 in comparison to cities in the USA that have a ratio of 1.380 and the mid 1990 per capita figure for the UK is c. 0.43!

    • Kent says:

      To those who think "thumbs down"  I ask you to please comment on what you don’t like or agree with.  How would you suggest dealing with the problem? 

      I have simply asked for the consideration his ability to get things under control, which they are not at the present point.  If he feels he can not do it, please be man enough to admit it and let someone who possess the skills to correct the problems take over.  This is not an attack on him personally, as I have never met the man personally.  I do know that we have major issues with the RCIP, and it’s ability to take care of the rising crime.  Mr. Baines is the head of the RCIP, so it would only make sense to look to him to find a solution to the problem.

      I have always lived by the advice passed on to me from my elders, " You don’t have to know how to do everything with excellence, you have to know how to get the right people to produce excellence for you."

      Please do not mix up the message.  Mr. Baines may be the right man, I do not know.  I do know that the crime is getting worse and worse with no apparent end in sight.

  12. Anonymous says:

    the island is getting ridiculous…this ia like a spit on police’s face.. cant do a thing.. all they can do is respond to calls.. after.. so get robbed, get killed.. and call 911 if u are still alive…

    • soumy nona says:

      Yep amazes me that here (and unbelievably in ever country in the world) the police aren’t told by the criminals where to be so that they can catch them in the act! If we the public don’t help we can go on blaming the police for doing a bad job and wonder why crime continues!

  13. Anonymous says:

    Govt won’t do a thing until a tourist is killed inside the Ritz

    • Anonymous says:

       well, isn’t that the truth… but not just any tourist. It would have to be one with lots of $$ and influence

  14. Holiday Weekends says:

    Holiday Weekends are worst because the junkies who get "randomly" tested on the same days each week get a long weekend to fill themselves with drugs and need to steal to pay for the bender.

     

    • Turtle's Head says:

      The drug court lot should haul every junkie in first thing tomorrow for testing – holiday weekend or no holiday weekend.  I bet half of them have been on a crack bender.

  15. Anonymous says:

    That’s it!!!….I am frigging out of here.

    If a property across from the Governor’s house is not safe, what is?

    • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

      To where, London?

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes London is much much safer and I would have a much lower chance of getting mugged there, especially when I stick to main shopping streets and public areas.

        Your sarcasm is ill-placed because you don’t even realise the irony behind what your saying. There are many streets in london you wouldn’t walk at night, same as there a growing number in Cayman, but in London I would feel perfectly safe in a main commercial area with resaurants and shops open all around.

        Crime rates are so much lower throughout the civilised world. The draw of the cayman islands is fast getting over weighed by the drawbacks, that’s why thousands of the professional expats are leaving and taking business and jobs with them.

        Until the government starts toface up to the crime problem and start making it attractive to professionals and investors to come here (by way of basic human rights, ability to employ people based on competence not passport and sharing the burden of paying for caymanian families among the whole tax base and not just expats).

        • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

          Of course I wouldn’t realize what I’m saying; I’m just a native 🙂  However, what are the robbery rates in London, and in the whole of the UK currently?

            • Caymanians against nonsense says:

              Police statistics here and there should be qualified to be “reported crime”. The reality can be significantly different.
              So when a police force/government says crime is down, it could mean ‘reported crime is down”. Especially in election years.

          • Anonymous says:

            What the heck do crime rates in other places have to do with our own crime rate. You should not compare what is a horrendous evil in our midst with what exists elsewhere. I expect better of you Dennie.

            • Anonymous says:

              For the population of Cayman vs amount of crime, we will most likely rank pretty high currently. Because Cayman is so small and crime is not being kept on the few streets that you would not walk on normally, it is becoming a great concern to all residents.

              • Anonymous says:

                I think this sums up the feeling pretty well. Cayman is very small and every serious crime is happening on all of our doorsteps. This isn’t a big sprawling city where you can move to safer quieter areas to escape the crime or avoid certain areas after dark, or even move out of the city.

                Every serious crime that happens is so close and feels so personal, whereas in a big city if there is a murder or armed robbery, the chances are  it could be miles away in streets and areas completely unknown to you. You know that you are one in millions of people in these cities so the chances of becoming a victim are comparatvely very small. In Cayman it is happening in the nightclubs that we drink in, we eat at these restaurants and fill up at these gas stations all the time.

                 

            • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

              I agree that crime here on Grand Cayman is at unacceptable highs, but that’s because there is no real effective deterrence’s for robbers, so criminal behavior will unfortunately continue to increase.  My stance on such crimes is clear, but too many people, for whatever reasons, do not utilize the most effective strategies to curb the crime.

              My question was simply seeking to know which stats, they were relying upon, to support their claim that London was safer that the Grand Cayman.  In 2006, the population of Greater London was estimated at 7,512,400.  Now that I have reviewed the following website: http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/ as suggested by 18:22, I see the following statistics for the twelve months ending at May 2010, when compared to the prior 12 months to be:

              Total Crimes: 828,685 vs. 843,938 (110.3 per 1000 people)
              Homicides: 124 vs. 144 (0.0165 per 1000)
              Total violence against the person crimes: 174,864 vs. 174,683 (23.2767)
              Rapes: 3,021 vs. 2,163 (0.4021 per 1000)
              Total Burglaries: 91,490 vs. 94,747 (12.1785 per 1000)
              Gun Crime: 3,475 vs. 3,066 (0.4625 per 1000)  Up 13.3%

              I will not try to stop anyone from leaving, because if they did leave it might make room for people who would most likely to NOT tolerate robberies…  In fact, it is a strong indication to me that they cannot be reliedupon to help solve our most pressing challenges.

              • Anonymous says:

                I’m curious.  Apart from quoting a few statistics, what have you done to lower the crime rate?  I’ve thought about it and, as an expat, I’m curious what you would have me do to lower the crime rate?  I do not commit crimes.  I assist the RCIPS when possible.  I cannot vote to make or change laws.  I can express an opinion, but that is just blowing hot air.  How exactly do you see expats (those who would "NOT tolerate robberies") making a difference?  By the way, any sign of Chad Anglin?

                • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

                  My comments were not directed towards any person who I believed was or is a “visitor” as “07/05/2010 – 10:10” wrongly stated.  The person to whom I responded was anonymous (07/04/2010 – 14:06), and his or her comments didn’t indicate their immigration status.

                  Like you, I assist the police whenever possible.  In a number of the cases it would not be wise to say publicly.  However, there was an incident last year when I witnessed a driver running of the road and smashing into two cars on the side of the road (one car was occupied).  The driver continued along his way as if nothing had happened.  So I ran to my truck, followed the driver, got his vehicle number, called the police, took pictures, and gave written statement of what I had witnessed.  The officer thanked me for making that case so easy for him…

                  I also spend quality time with my child, who is 22 months of age, including reading to her every day, in the hopes that she will make good choices once she is grown…  Many of our problems come from neglected youth…   So I take the time to have one on one conversation with the young.  I believe this is the best form of crime prevention.

                  On occasion, I encourage the current Commissioner of Police to stop breaching Section 43 of the Firearms Law himself… because his unlawful act is setting a very bad example for our young people.

                  Regardless of a person’s inability to vote, a person’s participation in fighting crime says a lot about them.  Thank you for helping in the fight against crime!  I believe generally Caymanians welcome guest workers into the permanent population, who show by their actions, a genuine interest in the betterment of the Cayman Islands, and I share that view.

                  What we can all do is raise our children properly.  We must refuse to be helpless victims.  Crime is a business and we should run crime out of business by increasing the cost of committing violent crime and that includes using a variety of arms.

                  If I knew where Chad Anglin is, I’d turn him in and not because of the reward.

                • Anonymous says:

                  Expat:

                  Your job is simple: smile and nod, enjoy your time as best you can, make your money and go home.  Wading in to the bog of who needs to be doing what when you have a less-then-zero ability to change anything (or even comment on it beyond the anonymity of CNS) is a complete waste of energy, and it just annoys the locals. 

                  This is a Caymanian problem to be sorted out by Caymanians.  Just stay out of it.

                  An Ex-expat

              • Anonymous says:

                Until recently we advertised the Cayman Islands as being a destination with a very low crime rate. We used that particular catch to lure visitors to our shores. I am not certain if the ads still claim that our crime rate is low, however if they do that is a very misleading picture being painted of these islands. I see nothing wrong with telling our visitors what to expect when they come here, and I see our visitors point when they come here and find out otherwise, therefore to jump on a visitor who declares their intention to leave because of our crime rate is no less than condoning the horrendous criminal activity taking place presently.

                Back off Dennie, you serve no purpose trying to argue with a visitor who declares their intention to leave because of our high crime rate by trying to argue with the visitor about crime rates that exist elsewhere.

                I am sure if our crime rates were low the visitor would not be declaring their intention to leave for that reason. End of story.

                • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

                  Since the person to whom I responded was anonymous (07/04/2010 – 14:06), how do you know that blogger is a visitor, and not Caymanian?

                  • Anonymous says:

                    Yes I am a visitor, I pay my fees and shop locally wherever possible to contribute to the local economy. I donate and volunteer with some local charities. My employers pay work permit fees. My role is quite specialised and only one Caymanian has the suitable qualifications, he is my boss.

                    The tax free salary, the climate, the laid back lifestyle and the proximity to many places that I wanted to visit brought me here.

                    The cost of living is ridiculously high and rising rapidly, a minority of the locals hate our guts and really try to make life miserable for expats (try immigration dept, post office etc and compare the service offered to locals vs expats) but the main factor that makes me want to leave is the horrendous crime levels.

                    Yes I know crime is bad everywhere and yes you can argue that there is more robberies in London or wherever, but London is a big place. Before coming to Cayman, I had never heard a real gunshot, now I have, twice. In London I wouldn’t be looking over my shoulder when in a fast food restaurant or gas station after dark, half expecting the next person to be waving a gun. In Cayman it is at the back of your mind now as just about every garage and fast food joint has been robbed during opening hours in the last few months.

                    We also need to remember that Cayman is not a big sprawling city like New York or London. It is a small caribbean island popular with tourists because of the sleepy image and laid back lifestyle. People coming here are looking for a much different holiday that those going to London for example.

                    Instead of twisting the crime figures and comparing them with major cities around the world, Caymanians need to be taking a stand. They have to stop their brothers, uncles, cousins from getting away with the crimes. They all know who is robbing, shooting and raping but nobody comes forward to speak up, even though it is killing the island and destroying the future for their children. By letting the criminals run riot they are effectively telling the children of Cayman that crime is ok.

                    I’m sure there will be more than a few "why don’t you pi$$ off home then" comments, but like many others, I committed to making a new start in Cayman by making investments here and buying a house (that I can’t sell if I wanted to leave) so I have interests here as well.  

                    Unfortunately due to aforementioned immigration/government treatment of expatriates, most like myself are not comfortable leaving contact details on a public blog especially if making a criticism for fear of reprisals such as work permits getting cancelled and immigration "audits" etc.

                     

                    • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

                      Okay you’re a resident.

                      I understand your concern and I’m also concerned, but too many in the Cayman Islands appear to have a perspective about safety here that is out of sync with reality.  I can remember when Mr. Frankie E. Flowers released the move Haven (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haven_%28film%29), he was heavily criticized for showing the Cayman Islands in a negative light.  But truth is often rejected by those who are more interested in making politically correct statements than fighting crime.  Mr. Flowers did and excellent job with Haven, and I would now say again, he has been vindicated.

                      I did not twist the crime figures, as you have suggested, and I’m not interested in comparing major cities around the world with the Cayman Islands, but when people say things like “That’s it!!!….I am frigging out of here,” I have to wonder, to where, because anywhere you live and you’re too afraid to fight crime, you will always be on the run…  So, let’s fight them together instead of running!

                      Where law-abiding residents do not have a reasonable means of defending themselves against criminals, the criminal behavior will continue.  Read that last sentence again.  We must refuse to be victims before the crime will decrease.

                      I believe generally Caymanians welcome guest workers into the permanent population, who show by their actions, a genuine interest in the betterment of the Cayman Islands, and I share that view.

                      You may call me at 345-926-0716 or email me at d@warrens.ky.

              • Anonymous says:

                Its a pity England and Cayman do not compile their crime statistics in the same way in order that more direct comparisons can be drawn.  For instance "crime against the person" and "gun crimes" in the UK could mean any combination of the various crimes listed on the RCIPS statistics.  Furthermore, current population estimates for the Greater London area are c. 7,556,900.  The 2009 estimate for Cayman I believe is c. 52,830.

                But using your own source for the London figures and comparing to those on RCIPS you will see in terms of homicide, Cayman topping Greater London’s figures by an alarming rate, and in terms of rape and burglaries, we’re not too far behind there either.

                Sources: 

                http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/index.php and http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/sites/default/files/Library/Crimes&TrafficStats.pdf



                London Homicides: 124 vs. 144 (0.0164 per 1000 people)

                GCM Homicides: 9 vs. 8 (0.170 per 1000 people), i.e. considerably higher than greater London


                London Rapes: 3,021 vs. 2,163 (0.3997 per 1000 people)

                GCM Rapes: 14 vs. 20 (0.265 per 1000 people)

                 

                London Total Burglaries: 91,490 vs. 94,747 (12.1068 per 1000)

                GCM Total Burglaries: 617 vs. 548 (11.6789 per 1000)

          • Anon says:

            Per 1000 people, a damn sight lower than here. 

          • Lachlan MacTavish says:

            Dennie….you and 16:52 are just trading salvo’s. For Caymanians, expats and visitors the bottom line is that crime is growing quickly and into proportions that are just unbelievable. I am embarrassed for The Premier that the FOI and muzzling the media is taking precedence over crime.

        • Anonymous says:

          well if London is safer what r u doing here?

      • Mattew Manyete says:

        Dennie you are absolutely correct.  Some of these people are going on like there is no crime where they come from.  But these people are listed roll overs and just trying to scaremonger other people from staying and comming. Shut up with the negative comments.

        • Anonymous says:

          I really do not agree with the line of "logic" that says expat posters can only post about crime if there is no crime in the country from which they come.  That’s B.S..  Right now and for the foreseeable future, this is the community we are living in and the rise in crime is a concern which can (and should) be discussed by everyone.  It is not scaremongering to be afraid yourself and to ask aloud what can and should be done about the rise of crime in the Cayman Islands. 

        • Anonymous says:

          no, i think that "these people here" have good grounds to be concerned.  considering that 90% of the crime on island is committed by locals, the amount of crime committed per capita/locals is staggering – much higher than in many other parts of the world…  furthermore, given that the island is so small, everything becomes more "personal" and "closer". 

          • Anonymous says:

            Please stop the 90% locals nonsense. Once you leave out all the cocaine snorting (largely foreign) bar staff,  the ganja smoking (largely foreign) dive staff, the Central Americans with their numbers rackets, and ignore all immigration offenders from consideration, you might end up with 90% Regional, but not local. I know you will turn around with Northward statistics (which by the way are wrong) – but if you want to be accurate and fair, look to arrest and conviction statistics – and then permit some discount for visitors and others who leave permanently before they are caught. Then throw your stats about (and by the way, I do not disagree that Caymanians are behind a substantial amount of crime).

        • PRUFLAS 26 LEGIONS says:

          You are parranoid. better the devil you know thahn the devil you dont.

        • Anonymous says:

          You can’t be serious.  Caymanians are running wild with guns and robbing everyone they can point a gun at, the murder rate in Cayman is amongst the highest on the planet (by murders per 1000 people it was in the top 20 last I calculated it, but I haven’t redone the numbers since the last batch of killings), and you think it isn’t safer in the City??? 

          Of course there is crime in the City, but proportional to the population it is much, much less than in Cayman to be certain.

          Focus on solutions to the problem, and quit pretending there isn’t a major crime wave underway in Cayman.

  16. Anonymous says:

    This is the complex that houses the training arm of the Police. Talk about brazen criminals but the again if the Police are not capable of catching them why should they worry???

  17. Mattew Manyete says:

    Where were the security guards. Most places you visit they are sitting reading news paper or chatting up women anyway.

    • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

      Do you mean the unarmed security guards?

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes thats them, the security guards that are paid to provide security services.

        Ok we can’t expect them to take a bullet for 8 dollars an hour, but we should expect them to be looking out for incidents and then calling the police and watching very closely to get the full descriptions and taking down number plates etc and follow them from a distance.

        They are paid to patrol the area not sit inside in the air conditioning on their blackberrys.

        • Anonymous says:

          The same Security Company that is paid $100,000 a year to watch the Premier Residence.  You all forget who owns the company?  A UDP Cronie.  Thank God that CNS did that article on his personal expenses.  All these UDP cronies are sitting back watching the island sink while they build their wealth to jump ship when the time is right.

      • Blunt says:

        Oh Dennie we know you want everyone to openly carry guns in a holster because that will make everything better. 

        Better in the "peaceful like America" sense of the word better.

        • Dennie Warren Jr. says:

          I’ll put it another way, certain people are more concerned that security guards are never allowed to carry firearms, never mind that the robberies continue…  Sigh!

    • Anonymous says:

      Anytime I come to Governor’s Square at night the Security is no where to be seen or if you see them they are dead asleep.  They should be up and alert.  At night you have Cost U Less, Prime, and the ATM that sees customers.  The guards should be moving between the 3 making sure the customers are safe.  Guess they have no proper Supervision. 

      • Anonymous says:

        They are imported and paid 5 dollars per hour. How much security do you expect from a 5 dollar an hour unarmed expat.

        It is time some of us unemployed caymanians start doing the security work ourselves.