Cops clear up BBM over suspect car-invasion

| 20/07/2011

(CNS): Updated Thursday 11am – Police have now said the driver who circulated a BlackBerry Message that a man had tried to open her car door at an intersection in George Town has come forward. The woman told police that soon after sending the BBM she realized that the man was known to her and it was not a criminal trying to get into her car. Police had been concerned as the incident was not reported to them but it had raised fear and anxiety in the community. "We would like to thank the lady for contacting us,” Acting Superintendent Angelique Howell said. The senior officer said police did not know if the message had been intended to create fear or if it was a genuine incident that should have been reported to them.

She confirmed that when the man approached her car she did not recognise him and became concerned. That’s why she sent out the BBM message as an advisory to others on the island. A short time later it became clear that the man was indeed known to her, but she had not recognised him at the time," Howell added.

“The woman had immediately sent out another BBM message to clarify the situation but that was not circulated or passed on as widely as the first.

Howell explained that the circulation of the original message had fuelled anxiety and came on the heels of malicious message sent just to generate fear.

“Yesterday’s BBM message was causing a considerable amount of fear and concern within the community. People will be aware that recently BBM messages have been circulated suggesting multiple rapes that people who are missing have been found dead or that body parts have been found. That’s why we made the public appeal to try and establish who the author was and why it had not been reported to us,” the officer said.

She said the RCIPS was grateful that the situation has been cleared and she reassured the public that no such incidents have been reported. Nevertheless she noted that it was a reminder for the public to always be vigilant.

“People should however continue to take reasonable personal safety precautions and report any suspicious activity to us,” Howell added.
 

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  1. noname says:

    Wonder if they could prosecute the originator of the tacky anti-abortion message also being sent around? These people are the scum of the earth.

  2. Subway Cookie says:

    "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes"

    I got this bbm and immediately thought it was hogwash, just like the one that's circulating now about the worker in a popular soda manufaturers who claims the soda is tainted with blood from someone with AIDS.

    Why send out another annoying broadcast message BEFORE or INSTEAD OF contacting the Police?  People are so quick to facebook, tweet, bbm before an incident has even played out knowing that news travels at the speed of light in Cayman and most of it is made up.

    So, now it turns out you knew the person…I can't wait for the Chinese to develop a mechanism whereby a huge hand leaps out of your smartphone and slaps you across the face when you do stupid things like this.

    As ineffective as the Police appear to be nowadays, there is no sense in inciting further fear by sending out broadcast messages before you yourself even know what is going on.

    "YOU BIG DUMMY" *Sanford & Son voice*

  3. Anonymous says:

    On another note and another street, Please, Please remember that Elgin Ave. is ONLY 25mph.  Yesterday I witness a Police SUV driving in excess of 40mph and I tried following that vehicle to the Shedden Rd. Lights and in doing so I was trying to stay focus on the speed limits.  I took the SUV license plate number and lo and behold I found them at the Airport Fosters, it was around lunch time.  Setting Precedents Mr. Policeman, setting examples Mr. Policeman. Very poor ones. On another note, Cell Phones usage whilst driving is a major, major traffic hindrance on the roads today.  We need enforcement in this area and we need it now.                                   

    When the new Dart road opens up and the limits are 40mph, I hope there will be no cell phone usage on that road and that the Police will enforce the 40mph limit, not 25mph limits.  Driving too slow is a traffic hindrance and can be deadly like speeding.  There is no room for star gazing on that strip of road please drivers be considerate and pull off the road to answer your phone calls.

    • Anonymous says:

      How can you keep to the speed limit to catch a police car doing more than 40mph – you cannot. If you caught them up keeping the speed limit, they must have been doing less than the speed limit. 

      And whats you point – you complain about the 25 mph breach, then say don't enforce it.  Then you moan about people going too slow, then too fast.  You don't make sense

  4. Anymous says:

    Why am I not surprised to hear this ?  Knew it would soon come.  All I can say is soon as you get into your car make sure all doors are closed, because seriously this can happen and will be more terrifying than being held up in a shop.  Can you imagine this happening to you at night?

    On a same note I must say that I am seeing more Police cars on the street now, they are being seen almost every mile you take.  Just hope you are doing something except driving around wasting gas.

    We want you to pull down cars, make them get out hand cuff them while you search their cars.  Of course do it the right way, pull them down by  using the horn speaker and tell the driver to put his hands out the window. He is to open the car door from the outside latch.  If there are other suspicious persons, do the same with them, one at a time.  Handcuff them and let them wait while the car is beig searched.  Do not approach a car with suspicious persons inside ever.  Get them out first with hands in the air.  Take my foolish advice, these are perlious times, so do not be releaxed.   Tax payers are looking for results, do your job well..

  5. Anonymous says:

    Unless I have had a few too many beers already, which is a distinct possibility, I believe a camera has been installed at the intersection of Academy Way and Walkers Road.

    Now if the police care to go a bit further down to the 3-way stop at Academy Way and Apiration Drive, they could balance our national budget in one week just by issuing tickets for failure to stop at a stop sign.

    In another month or so they will be able to observe the masters of stop sign ignorance, when the bus drivers start flying through there with bus loads of our kids.

    • Anonymous says:

      In addition to that, how about cars parking on the south side of the road, making it a one way traffic scheme, and forcing pedestrians into oncoming traffic.

      All this when there is a car park at the top of the field that is barely used.

      Double yellow lines are needed all the way from Drumblade to Banana Walk.

       

      • Jack N Meoph says:

        Great idea, but double yellow lines are for honest law abiding citizens. Sadly the morons that park that way now are unlikely to change. Just look at the way every weekend the ignorant masses block South Church Street at Smiths Cove because they are too lazy to park in the parking lot over the road. That has a very clear double yellow line marking on the stretch. Mark my words, the selfish laziness of these people is going to result in a serious injury when someone steps out into the road unseen due to the cars. I have on more than one occasion nearly hit people. I just hope the lazy ignorant law breakers realise that if there is an accident, they are just as liable, and if there is acivil suit, they could and SHOULD be taken to the cleaners. Maybe that will learn dem.

    • Anonymous says:

      They can even make more money if they get drivers turning right from Harbour Drive in down the road by the museum.

      Lots of revenue to be make that way. You are right, it will then balance the government debt.

      And by the way, I agree with police stopping cars all over and doing searches. I have nothing to hide, it does not bother me. Lets make bad guys life a bit more uncomfortable. Ask who they are, what do they do for living, who they work for, patt them down. Police…make them respect you again and in doing so gain our respect back.

      • Anonymous says:

        Add to that all the traffic tickets that aren't issued to the happy hour crowd every Friday outside Rackhams…………….. We could REALLY have a surplus!