Cops get $4M more cash
(CNS): Government has agreed to give the police another $3.6 million to help the RCIPS tackle serious crime. The extra cash comes on top of $1 million promised by Cabinet last week. After two days of meetings involving the governor, the police commissioner and elected members, the government, backed by the opposition, has agreed to more funding for personnel and resources to tackle serious gang and gun crime. There may also be an increase for the crime stoppers reward to $100,000 sponsored by government if Cabinet approves the idea, as well as an external independent review of the RCIPS. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Following a motion tabled by the premier on Friday and an intense debate, in which all of the elected officials united in their call for a crack squad, the commissioner and the governor spent many hours in closed door meetings with the MLAs on Friday evening and Monday morning. The result was an increase in the budget, which will double the number of officers assigned to the serious crime unit and help them focus on the gun and gang crime which is fuelling the increase in armed robbers and increase in violent crimes.
The premier said he would also be discussing the possibility of government sponsoring an increase in the crime stoppers reward, which is usually a flat rate of $1000 but sometimes boosted by local sponsorship in the face of specific crimes, to as much as $100,000 for information on violent crimes relating to gangs and guns.
During Friday’s debate the members had called for a different approach to the way the RCIPS go about policing, with many suggesting the UK method of policing did not work and also suggested arming officers. Some members had called for Tasers to be introduced for all officers if they were not to carry guns. It was revealed that, as part of the compromise about policing methods, the commissioner agreed to an independent body reviewing the RCIPS to look at internal policy and procedures.
As the elected representatives faced Police Commissioner David Baines and his deputy, Steve Brougham, along with the governor and made their demands for more action in the face of rising crime on Monday, Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden was meeting with the press and listing a number of efforts made by the police at the weekend that had produced good results for the RCIPS.
Between Thursday and Saturday police arrested two people in connection with firearms possession, seized three lethal barrelled semi-automatic weapons with ammunition, arrested one man in connection with supplying ganja and seized $90,000 worth of stolen goods in three targeted operations.
The additional resources that elected members have now voted to give to the police will boost the budget to around $32 million, which is closer to the allocation the RCIPS received before the cuts began in the 2009 financial year as a result of the recession, and will enable the police to return to the previous headcount.
See release below from the premier's office regarding the agreements reached between the commissioner and elected members
Category: Crime
No justice No peace.
I REALLY hope this works…as a tourist and frequent visitor, the latest surge in robberies has me spooked…when we come to GC, we don’t want to even remotely worry about such matters…make no mistake, the island’s reputation DOES matter to tourists, and it takes relatively few incidents to trash a tourism industry…just ask Aruba. With high profile murder trials making headlines, GC doesn’t need a rash of common thugs making things any worse!
The report of burglury, robbery in the news is probably way too low from what is happening in reality. I know a big house in East End that was burglarized, another big house in Old Prospect who is owned by a known caymanian lawyer, another house in south sound which was burglarized 2 times in less than a month.
Cayman is in a serious state. Please lets avoid joking around. The problem of theft, robbery and burglary must be minimized if not eradicated.
Godbless this beautiful country that God made.
I suppose it will go some way to offsetting the $10+ millions wasted on Operations Tempura and Cealt but it won't bring back any of the honest, dedicated and professional officers who decided to quit in the aftermath of that fiasco.
At midnight last night, three cop cars were along WB Road: one was speeding towards town – not sure if chasing a vehicle; another was parked crossway the road, checking for licence expiration perhaps and another parked on the side of the road with one cop holding a radar gun. So that was at least five cops (I saw four and I guess one was driving the speeding car), but most likely six cos they don't travel alone.
Now you tellme, why weren't they out patroling businesses that were closing at that hour, or neighbourhoods?
Well, it started to rain so they probably just 'locked up shop' and went back to the station then.
Thank you government members for voting the money and I know that this will go a long way in assisting the RCIPS in doing their job.
Just leave Mac alone. Early Sunday morning I dreamt that Mac gave me a check for $18M. Then later that day I heard that 18 played in our local lottery. I am only sorry I did not buy 18 on Sunday. I am sure some good can come of Mac's givings.
There's a local lottery?:) With this extra money the police may come and get you:)
Are you going to buy handguns, or just more rocks to throw at the criminals? The no guns policy worked real well in GB last month.
Hopefully this will also mean not just hiring reinforcements but also replacing current staff. There are too many officers out of shape, cant take a proper statement and generally underqualified for their jobs. Baines also need to start enforcing some form of code of conduct. When you constantly see police drive around with one hand on the wheel and the other texting or talking on their personal phones, it’s unacceptable.
1) Make all existing officers take compentcy testing inclusive of basics of criminal justice system…if they fail give them the boot regardless of nationality.
2) Start pay to consummate with professional in other fields like $50,000-$75,000 for qualified officers that meet the standards set out in 1.
3) Merge the Fire Services into the police for extra boots on the ground without extra costs; fire officers would be back ups to the trained officers in catagory 1 and would help Caymanian because they would want the increase pay and would apply for the job while getting on the job experience (hopefully, if not they would not be ambitious police). Fire service to big anyways as due to modern tech. fires now are mostly prevented. Plus Fire officer/police officer would be a great first step for our police academy cadets in training i.e. get paid $3,000 while you train..See point 5
4) Merge the DOE and the Police Marine Unit into 1 unit; qualified Caymainian there who know how to secure a conviction and up the pay on them to equal 1.
5) Create a P-O-L-I-C-E academy or send Caymanian to one in the States or (UK) most probably the States as UK is slack from what in Policing from what I have witnessed. Train the returning cadets in basic commwealth criminal law system at the Law School and you have young professional officers in catagory 1
6) Merge the P-O-L-I-C-E academy programme and the cadet corps and change the mission while still keeping the children busy. More favourable than importing the current bunch (mostly former carpenters) who sometimes just make the force (O I meant service) getting ahead of myself.
There is the external/internal review signed your friendly CS
Why did Mr. Miller abstain? just curious
Where's the money that will be spent on the youth? Well, plan on asking for 8 milion extra next year if that's not done. It's not OK to just spend money on policing and not the youth. I'd suggest spending that 4 million on the youth and keep the police funding as is… Better long term bet.
Now we just need the Top Cops and the Top Eagles from the Legal Department to be trapped in a room for as long as it takes to hash out why these weak cases get shot down in court, resulting in a waste of resources, and the demoralization of all concerned, while leaving Joe Public wondering ruefully what the hell happened to all his energy surcharge dollars, and why the perpetrators of these crimes are still walkingfree amongst us, presumably cocking a snook at the system.
XXX
Every one should be happy that more money is given to the police, because just think about it if we had no police force what would happen. Some times I believe that certain people do not use their brain before writing foolishness.
Do you know if you have someone working for you, and you do not pay them well and treat them well, they will not produce good work for you. Well I think the police should be well paid, and have all the necessary equiptment needed to fight crime. Maybe they foot dragg on certain issues, but I believe they should be up to the mark with sophisticated equipment. Give them the best. Because in these days in Cayman they need it. Some people expect to sleep comfortably in their aircondition bedroom all night while police walk around their house with flash light at night protecting them. It cannot work, and we are so ungrateful to realize that the police put their lives on the line every day and night, on land and dangerous waters to protect this Island.
Where is the thankfulness and gratfulness of you people. So I say give the police the extra money, and I say to the public, do not hesitate to give police information on these crimes taking place, because one day it may save your life. I do hope the Commissioner realize that he should listen to the old heads from the police force who try to give him some advice.
The same thing that is happening now
Does anyone have any idea how much RCIPS has spent on new vehicles in the last ..say 10 years? And what happened to the old vehicles?
Should make interesting figures.
And why do the new cars still come as poorly equipped as the hand-me-down post Ivan cars. The new ones still do not have videocameras, this is 10 years after most other police forces were embracing that technology and it has proved its worth over and over again in cases of excessive force by the police, assaults on police by the public, another steady reliable view of what was going on around the car, which an officer may have missed, like a license number or suspicious activity.
I did a bit of research and a good quality, court accpted video package for law enforcement vehicle would start at about $2900 and go up as you add more options, so lets say $5000 per vehicle, (installed).
This seems like a no brainer to me.
Maybe even put the personal CCTV packs on their epaulettes so video evidence is continually being collected, automatically.
Look;
The cars were needed. Police cars are driven 24 hrs a day;150 miles per day is a likely average for Caymans police to drive. x that by 365 (days) and then 5 (years) =273750 miles. Now tell me which one of you have that much mileage on a car under 20 yrs old?
Sorry Baines can't be faulted for this, it was desperately needed.
…………more money more problems………
More money given to the police?????? Didn't we just give them more money last year to fight crime, didn't we just give them a helicopter, new vehicles, k9 unit to fight crime? Don't we have over 300 police? I think we should get a whole new police force and a new commissioner. We just keep giving and giving and giving!!! Crime is at an all time high and all we the people keep doing is giving giving giving "including our lives"!!!!
Are they going to allocate some funds to the DPP's office to recruit and RETAIN some decent prosecutors who are experienced at prosecuting serious and organised crime AND securing convictions that stick?
How can the police get $4 million without any church affiliation?
That should be enough to buy some Lamborghinis.
We don't mind giving $ 4M to the police. It's when we're forced to give $ 4M to church's and half of that went to 'his' personal church.
I just wish you idiots would come off this church money grudge, Or do you all want money given to churches to be given to the bars? It is you people who has ruined the place, by taking prayers and worship from the High schools, and then talk about them coming out and robbing una. Well go ahead and continue to baul about money being given to the churches and see what happen. God is wide awake, and has a rod of correction for those who fight against the church.
Really? Those are the only two options? Give the money to church or give the money to bars? I think there must be other ways to use government money productively that you might not have thought of.
No one is fighting against the church but I believe it's an unchristian thing to force people to support the Premier's church against their will.
You just go ahead believing that crap!When a Church can be bought by a man! thats when we need to worry!
Maybe you don't mind but i do ! It's not going to make RCIP any smarter or solve more crime. Better if CIG gave away $1200 five nights a week in $300.00 sums infront of the mla building. maybe then armed robberies would stop.and it'll only cost $300.000.00 a year saving $3.7 million. lol
Fantastic. The police need all the support we can muster in the face of the wave of crime. This is good news.
Mo gas for the chopper. All you ganga users young and old that frequent the Rum Point Beach, you will be caught and dealt with according to the full extent of the Law.
I was actually at Rum Point Beach this weekend. I was utterly shocked. Young Caymanians completely drunk, fornicating with whatever moved and ditching empty bottles in the water and then the jetski policeman just cruising around looking for eye candy.
Don't believe me. GO NEXT WEEK!!!
Never let a perfectly good crisis go to waste – get more money.
Well I sure hope that money will be spent in procuring some experienced teams (short term) to come in from the States who can shake, rattle and roll these gangs and armed criminals out of here. We need to fight fire with fire and not try to 'detain and talk to' these type of criminals.
The old 'UK style' policing methods do not work, as even the UK is changing and asking for help from the different experts in the USA to help with strategies.
The one aspect of the RCIP that is working is the Helicopter crew. Good work guys!!!
and the dogs – Go boris and team!
please spend some of it on training on how to present a case to secure convictions.
What for???????? they sure hell better do something about the crime instead of wasting Government money driving up & down in new a/c cars looking all pretty do una jobs thats goes for the top to the bottom.
Lots of cash being thrown at the RCIPS. While I'm supportive of the RCIP I am not always convinced of the effectiveness of their leadership, priorities and tactics.
How about measuring results against that investment? Mr. Auditor General, let's see the review showing the ROI here please.
I dont know how this is going to help other than pay for the fuel for the helicopter! But for goodness sake please ensure there is accountability in the process and if no convictions are obtained then fire the commissioner.