UK super-cop to advise RCIP
(CNS): One of Britain’s most senior police officers and gang experts will be visiting the Cayman Islands next week to offer some advice and support to the RCIPS regarding the surge in gang related murders this month. Jon Murphy, the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police and the man who led a UK initiative to tackle gang crime in the UK in 2007 and who is now the National Serious & Organised Crime Coordinator for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), will be offering the benefit of his extensive experience in gang crime to the RCIPS. He will be examining the Cayman police service’s immediate response to the recent murders and offer advice on what more the police could be doing about gang related crime.
The governor announced Murphy’s visit at a special meeting on Tuesday evening at the Westin, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, with government officials and the business community to update them on the current situation regarding crime on island and what efforts are being made to stem the resurgence of gang violence.
Governor Duncan Taylor explained that since the police commissioner had written to CC Murphy to request a temporary delegation of Merseyside officers to come to Cayman to assist with the investigations of the five murders in eight days this month, the UK’s own ‘super-cop’ had also agreed to make a visit and offer what advice he could to the local police.
The commissioner had written to the UK senior officer asking for a team of sixteen officers from Merseyside to help with the investigations into the recent killing spree on Grand Cayman and Murphy also offered to visit. The Merseyside super-cop heads up the service which also polices Liverpool, where local cops have faced an entrenched gang culture. Murphy has used tactics in the city that involved disrupting every aspect of the lives of known gang members, which garnered noticeable results.
The governor said that it was great for Cayman to have someone of Murphy’s stature and extensive experience to visit and get his views on how things have been handled so far and going forward. The governor also revealed that consideration was being given to establishing a gang unit within the RCIPS and that this would also be area for discussion with Murphy, who, he said, was expected to arrive in Cayman on Monday.
Taylor also revealed that one of the commitments made to the members of the Legislative Assembly recently after they voted extra crime fighting funds was to have an independent review of the work of the RCIPS and their tactics from someone from a different jurisdiction outside of the UK.
Taylor said that there had been some arguments posed that the Cayman Islands needed to adopt more American-type tactics as the RCIPS was not hard enough. Although the governor said he did not agree with that argument, an external review was a worthwhile exercise. Taylor told the business community that as a result he had been in touch with law enforcement officials in Canada, who were now arranging for an expert from that country to come out to Cayman for a short period and look at polices and tactics to see whether the RCIPS could be doing more, or doing things differently to improve the effectiveness of the service.
Taylor also revealed that he was considering bringing a prosecution specialist from the UK to examine how recent cases have been put together and presented in the Grand Court. Pointing to the recent string of acquittals in serious cases, the governor said that while he was not criticising the judgements handed down, it was clear that lessons could be learned in how those cases were presented and how forensic evidence was compiled.
“Can we present our cases better than we did? Were some of those acquittals partly the result of the fact we didn’t present the cases in the best possible way?” the governor asked as he spoke to the members of the business community. Agreeing with the commissioner’s recent comments, he said he believed that some of the recent crime may have been prompted by the acquittals and it would be useful to have someone from outside review the recent cases.
Category: Crime
The outside help that we get from either the UK or the US, we have to start accepting the advise they give us.
It has been proven that anyone that comes to Cayman to help the Government they don't like to hear the truth. We had a problem with gangs long before this massive increase in crime.
Cayman used to call it "little groups". They were "GANGS" pure and simple.
Stop bad mouthing the UK Police, cause the UK Police are a million times better than the RCIP.
I'd like to see how the Cayman Police would have dealt with the England Riots that just happend. They would have ran the other way!
Get rid of the corruption and start doing something useful to combat the problem that Cayman has.
Employ persons who can write, spell and present a proper statement and who are not common labourers or domestic helpers who come to our shores.
Judging by merseyside police website, the Chief Consatbel needs to stay home and advise his own officers. The news feeds have multiple murders and armed robberies just inn September. Thought deputy commissioner Brogham was from Merseyside police, according to the papers, as a senior officer. His experience hasn't counted for much if we need his boss to come and offer advice. Smacks of a friends jolly to me, why is not sending his crime experts, or are they too busy actually working.
You may like to consider the population size of Merseyside to the population size of Grand Cayman. The population of just Liverpool alone is close to 500,000!!!!!, 10 times GC. I doubt they have EVER had 50 murders in 10 days there.
Then again Merseyside police have dedicated tactical firearms units on the road 24/7 and they apparently respond to something around 300 callouts a week.
Why is it every time we deal with the UK it cost us a small fortune? This Colonialism crap is to much to bear. If we only had mature leaders?
What I like about your comment, EYE, is that you don't mention UDP or PPM. Good for you!
Hopefully they are not sending these five to make up the sixteen http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/04/merseyside-police-sacks-officers-matrix
Why don't they focus on the inside corruption first???!!! You know it's there.
They did! OperationsTempura and Cealt turned up nothing.
“…it was clear that lessons could be learned in how those cases were presented and how forensic evidence was compiled.”
Thank goodness someone finally noticed the other weak link in the the chain! If the evidence fails before the judge an acquittal must follow; at trial or on appeal, a bad criminal case will (and must) always lose. Raise the standards of the police and the treatment of evidence (i.e. don’t leave the bullets behind at the crime scene), but for goodness sake train the prosecutors in how to prove their cases!!!
I'm surprised there is any crime problem in Cayman at all. After all, it appears we have 55,000 experts on law enforcement already.
I couldn't have said it better myself lol
Thank you Mr. Taylor.
Another example why Cayman still needs to be with the UK, and the police segregated from the elected members.
"Murphy also offered to visit". The fact that Murphy's services were not requested requires scrutiny. Are we so flattered and "star-struck", that we offered to pick up the tab anyway?
Please find a permanent solution for the problem and do not just afix the usual band aid that costs the country dearly!
How many TOP of this and TOP of that advisors have we had in the past???? If they all were so TOP, how come we are in the situation we are in.
Because YOUR leadership is not smart enough to follow any top advisers advice. They are your main problem.
So that would be the current commissoner and the govenor you are talking about?
Your means Caymanian. get someone to explain it to you.
Why do you assume I am Caymanian???? The ones who are in charge of the police are the Govenor and the Commissoner. Maybe you need to think before you type!
Feel free to step in and fix your own home grown problem any time you feel like doing it!
Not all our problems are home grown and you know it. Some of our most horrid crimes were committed by imported criminals. Such hostile people have landed on our shores, it makes my stomach sick.
Useless parenting is not a topic discussed in this article. It is about bringing in a new advisor. If memory serves me right, Mr. Baines was brought in because he was so highly experienced so I am a bit surprised that he cannot manage to get control of this situation, but I am happy for anyone who comes to be able to make things better, as long as this is what actually happens and not just some people looking for a nice vacation and the country picks up the cost.
If I would have the opportunity to step in and "fix" something, I would say arm the police, enforce traffice offenses daily, check up on people loitering, be outside the High Schools when school lets out and haul in the gangsta looking guys hanging out outside High School waiting for the kids to come out and question them what they are doing there. Cross reference with immigration as needs be and the list could go on and on.
British policing does not work in the Cayman Islands. That has been proven. Unless they bring in some tough American cops, we will be wasting our money. Plain and simple.
Is this comment written by someone who knows what policing is in fact adopted on this island? It clearly is not someone who is "in the know" because if they were they would know that most of "British Policing" is in fact entirely rejected by the primarily Jamaican CID officers on this island. They have received no training on UK style policing and just adopt the training they received from their days in the police in Jamaica. The legislature of cayman has adopted piecemeal bits of UK legislation. The real problem with that is the little bits and pieces do not fit together properly as opposed to the big picture. Tough policing is NOT the answer, Visible policing combined with the society taking responsibilty for its own change by standing up and giving evidence in court and not turning a blind eye is a much better approach. US style policing does not mesh with a UK based courts and evidence based system. The two are mutually exclusive. However perhaps those who advocate getting rid of a commonwealth based system of policing will examine, just for a moment, how well theUS police have got a hold on their violent crime problem.
Anonymous 9:53, I agree with most of what you say, but a policeman must BE tough….. but he shouldn't ACT tough. He must be be capable of handling most any situation that arises, and that means he should have superior firepower over the baddies and know how to use it! This kind of officer will be respected. A policeman without a firearm is too often looked upon as a wimp, unfortunately.
Face it! No policy works in the Cayman islands. This has been proven. Unless you bring in some people other than the ones you have now to lead you are just wasting your money rapidly. Plain and simple.
Don't you realise most of these were BROUGHT in? How many Caymanian police are here (exclude all those status grants who are Caymanian when it is convenient)? We need no more from where those came because the crime is on the increase. Police in quantity and quality go hand in hand i.e. many high quality police who speak English.
We need to demand that the cops we have now, and have employed, promoted for past 5, 10, 15and 20 years, start showing they are willing to listen to the 'TOP" and to do what they are paid to do in the first place. We all know police are not the only problem, YET we continue to keep increasing the number of police employed to address a problem where the other players are again left unheard.
WHAT ABOUT PREVENTION????
I think it will be more cost effective to employ one or two experts for short period, demand cops now hired actually perform and spend the money ….. that would be wasted on more cops, who will need to be trained, never return (Commissioners leave but new cops stay with their friends etc and end up with a secure job) home and blame the person at the top anyway…..on the programmes aimed specifically at prevention such as enforcement of education standards, decriminalization of certain laws, enforce human rights across all government departments/services specifically working with the youth, ensure that if qualified, willing workers seek job they are given priority for the opportunity.
USA Murder Rate/year = 5 per 100,000 people. England & Wales Murder Rate/year = 1.2 per 100,000 people. Where is your evidence for the superiority of American Policing? Nothing more than U-S-A drum-beating and wishful thinking I'm sorry to say. At least in Liverpool the Merseyside Police can demonstrate a record of actively reducing gang activity after a period of gang related murders.
All I'm saying is that the "nice guy approach" has got to go. For starters, they shouldn't be sending in baton toting cops to a gun fight. That is just good ole' fashioned common sense. This was evident last year when a young man bled out because the unarmed officers had to wait on the USG to respond from the other side of the island before they could assist him. Brilliance I tell ya!!!
Another UK Officer to advise the current UK Police management on gangs will equal a total and unequivocal failure. These times call for SWAT teams, snipers, undercover officers, and YES persons EXPERIENCED in a Police FORCE and not a service. Can we not reach out to the Miami-Dade Police. Arent Cayman and Dade County not 'sister-cities'? Can we not recruit Sheriff Joe Arpaio? Can we not seek assistance from professionals in policing matters from New York, Chicago or LA. I am sorry, but it is my humble belief that the UK mentality of policing will not work when it comes to the serious issues of murder, attempted murder. robberies etc.. Maybe it works if you park your car illegally or if your speeding! And I am not inferring that its ok to park illegally or speed= I just am making the reference. This move is simply one to try and make an impression that something meaningful is being done but in the end- it will be a total failure.
Your post reads as if the UK has no armed police teams, undercover officers, murders, robberies, attempted murders and the like, and shows a woeful ignorance of the present day UK. It might surprise you to know that, sadly, our British police forces no longer ride around country lanes on bicycles clipping small children round the ear for stealing apples and sending them home. They have to deal with all the problems we now experience on Cayman. Also, as pointed out by others on here – they're familiar with the British legal system, which is still the basis of the Cayman legal system (or was last time I checked).
They are just going to do and tell us what we the public have been saying all along. Get tough on crime. Why do we need to import these [people] to do what we know has to be done. Soooooooooooo that if it goes wrong we have someone to blame thats why.
Be careful when you open pandoras box; the people you find inside may not be the ones you want to find.
I'm with the Beaver on this one. Since the UK has a "supercop" how come they're considering recruiting American Bill Bratton to 'advise' them on their own gang problems?
Not saying that our young crims are not influenced by gang culture and their allegiance to each other based on their locale is obvious, but these are not gangs per the structured US organizations. Dealing with our 'gang' problems is unique and is rooted in the failure in our social values and structures. There was a time when Dr. Frank McField, as a clinical sociologist, may have had the answers but no one listened to him when he was valid. Unfortunately, he decided on a path of politics and his record there invalidated himself.
Some background from Wikipedia
Liverpool
Street gangs in Liverpool have been in existence since the mid-19th century. There were also various sectarian 'political' gangs based in and around Liverpool during this period.Dr Michael Macilwee of Liverpool John Moores University and author of The Gangs of Liverpool states, "You can learn lessons from the past and it's fascinating to compare the newspaper headlines of today with those from the late 1800s. The issues are exactly the same. People were worried about rising youth crime and the influence of 'penny dreadfuls' on people's behaviour. Like today, some commentators demanded longer prison sentences and even flogging while others called for better education and more youth clubs."
In the early 1980s Liverpool was tagged by the media as 'Smack City' or 'Skag City' after it experienced an explosion in organised gang crime and heroin abuse, especially within the city's more deprived areas. At the same time several criminal gangs began developing into drug dealing cartels in the city, including the Liverpool Mafia, which was the first such cartel to develop in the UK. As drugs became increasinglyvaluable, large distribution networks were developed with cocaine producers in South America, including the Cali cartel.[24] Over time, several Liverpool gangsters became increasingly wealthy, including Colin 'Smigger' Smith, who had an estimated fortune of £200m and Curtis 'Cocky' Warren, whose estimated wealth once saw him listed on the Sunday Times Rich List.
It has also been suggested that distribution networks for illicit drugs within the UK and the Republic of Ireland, even allegedly some Mediterranean holiday resorts are today controlled by various Liverpool gangs.[27][28]
A report in the Observer newspaper written by journalist Peter Beaumont entitled Gangsters put Liverpool top of gun league (28 May 1995), observed that turf wars had erupted within Liverpool. The high levels of violence in the city came to a head in 1996 when, following the shooting of gangster David Ungi, six shootings occurred in seven days, prompting Merseyside Police to become one of the first police forces in the country to openly carry weapons in the fight against gun crime. Official Home Office statistics revealed a total of 3,387 offences involving firearms had occurred in the Merseyside region during a four year period between 1997 and 2001. It was revealed that Liverpool was the main centre for organised crime in the North of England
Not sure what your trying to say with this outdated information. But The fact that Liverpool was one of the worst cities in the world for gang violebnce in the early 2000's and has been dramatically imporved since this guy started cleaning up the streets and is even now awarded the 'cultural capital of Europe' and is no longer considered a dangerous place to visit, is surely some proof of the guy's acumen?
If this guy can help slwo down violent crime in a cityu with high unemployment, just think what he can do in Cayman where the only unemployed people are the lazy sods that are afraid of hard work. Any Caymanian who genuinely wants a job and is preopared to graft and start work at a level suitable for their skills and experience can get a job in minutes. In Liverpool and other poor areas in the UK the local thugs don't get the oppotunities they are ofered in Cayman.
More REACTIONARY Policing. Let them do the crimes. Wait…….go to the scene…fill out the paperwork. Be Non-Confrontational. Then, you don't need firearms becuase you are not in harms way….just the Citizens are. Isn't that how it works in the UK (and here)
Nope, Mr. Ezzard to advise RCIP. People, just listen to Mr. Ezzie every Tuesday morning, he has the answers for all the problems that this islands has. People are always telling him things. The people trust him and feeds him information on everybody. Their methods are so unique. Example, leaving a letter on his windscreen while he dined at Welly's Cool Spot. He then opened the letter two weeks later one night when he could not sleep. Alas! In the letter was some secret of Mac. According to him, people tell him this and tells him that. He knows everything and might just know how to solve these shooting. From one Caymanian to you Mr. Baines, have a chat with Ezzard, my Caymanian native. With his experience of people always telling him things, I am sure he could assist you to clean up the turmoil on island.
I understand that you are being sarcastic but I believe Ezzard actually does have a lot to offer. The funny thing is that he is often criticised by the UDP as having no solutions, only criticisms.
The people that bring in these experts dont have a clue. We dont need "experts" we need Do'ers!!!
Now lets see. There are no gangs or riots in the UK? Any one watch the news in the last couple of months?
British policing is to soft!!! They do NOT NOT NOT show the authority that these gang members fear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do you think most other countries in the world dont use the British method of thug control?
Yep, glad to hear that the team is coming from the UK, but seriously, a review by a Canadian law official?
Ooops sorry for the pause I fell off the couch laughing!
Canadians are great, but Canadian gang expert over an Americian? I think the gove has an issue with the good ole' Red, White and Blue.
Kent:
Sorry, but you’ve had a bit of a misfire here. Canada trains foreign police forces world-wide and are exceptionally good at it. Have a look: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fs-fd/ipt-fpi-eng.htm
To date, there have been 2,800 deployments of 2,300 Canadian police to more than 50 peace missions around the world. Approximately 200 Canadian police officers are now serving in Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Haiti, the Netherlands (The Hague), Sudan and the West Bank/Gaza; in addition, a senior police advisor is posted to Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/po-mp/index-eng.htm
Sorry to wave my flag at you, but if our police forces can handle Afghanistan, Sudan, Haiti and others, they’d do just fine helping out in Cayman. You’d do well to welcome them and their help.
Canada volunteers to train police world-wide and (in some cases) help police and re-build failed states, and someone actually gives that a thumbs down? That’s gratitude for you.
Oh wait, it must have come from some bitter person in prison as a result of effective policing – yes, that must be it.
That's fine but our needs are specific to those effective in dealing with gang violence. Have the Mounties effectively dealt with the gangs in Canada?
Absolutely. For example, Mom Bucher of the Hells Angels is in prison in Quebec, and there are many other successes. The mafia didn’t do too well here either. People underestimate Canadians, but we don’t xxxx around when it comes to that stuff.
Calling all Lawyers….start warming up…..you're up next…
Hmmm, even more British cops?
I'm sure the local gangsters are shaking in their boots. (As if.)
It is in these current and modern times that the concept of colonialism really proves itself to be the ridiculous, destructive and failing beast that it truly is and always has been.
Furthermore, we are importing officers from Merseyside?! To tackle a local Caymanian crime issue that is arguably headquarted in WEST BAY of all places?!
Lol!!
This is no laughing matter but the opposing sides could not be further removed from one another! I have spent some time in the UK, and to this day the accents from that part of the country (amongst others) still confuse me. Add to this a fast-paced, stressful and potentially fatal environment and things are guaranteed to get interesting.
(Shoot – even I would face some challenges as a police officer trying to combat serious gang crime in West Bay (Weeess Baay 'uah) … and I am a born and raised Caymanian!)
I trust that Baines has reviewed and shored up his RCIPS accidental / negligence insurance for I predict many a mishap in the coming days and weeks.
Hopefully I will be proven wrong.
* Nevertheless, as usual, I wish you all the best Commissioner. You are the man in charge, and although I do not agree with your tactics I must respect your decision.
I will not prohsssssssssssphsy on this yet. I will wait for results of some ass kicking. We do not want to hear that Jon Murphy and his Mercyside Cops will be keeping sunday school with these gangs, because if they could mutder 5ive people in five days, they should be treated accordingly. Tough.
8 days.
How much is this going to cost?
I wonder what his daily rate is ?
Hope you get a nice tan , mate!!
Would a Robo-Cop have immigration issues?
What an absolute waste of time and money to bring in another "so called expert" from the UK to help solve caribbean criminalty !!!!!!
If you want positive results in decreasing criminalty and securing convictions in a court of law, bring in William "Bill" Bratton or someone of his calibre to give expert advice and well needed leadership in the RCIPS. Certainly, not another bloke from the UK who is looking for a nice get away to the caribbean amongst other blokes; who don't seem to have a clue what the hell is going on down here. This is not the way to proceed at such a crucial and critical time.
I agree, why should people travel 5000 miles to sort out your own problems, so jump in anytime you want and take some responsibility.
Feel free to step in at any time and contribute to society and community.
Good stuff Gov Taylor. You are the man for the job.
And not before time ,what we need is some Real British Police who know how to do things!!!!!!!!!
They had the perfect man in Stuart Kernohan and look what they did to him…
Kernohan said there were no real gangs here!
Back then there weren't.
We need the New York or Miami equivalent….we are tired of police service, we need a police FORCE!
oh yeah because the US had really dealt with their gang problem
maybe we should go all the way and get an expert from Mexico
Actually the correct name is "Police Force" according to the Police Law but this has been watered down to "Police Service" by successive Police Commissioners.
Oh Great,
Now let’s put this in perspective, we are going to bring someone from ANOTHER COUNTRY, to tell us how to deal with OUR problems! Now forget the FACT that this SAME COUNTRY has had to ask ANOTHER COUNTRY for help in dealing with their ( exact same gang issue ) problems.
DUH!!!!!!! I wonder how much this little tart is going to cost us, AGAIN.
Oh an by the way let’s just put this ACPO into perspective, for those who do not know what this ACPO is!
A) It IS a conglomerate of several persons to advise Police Services on how to conduct their jobs.
B) It also advises these same Police Services on what to use to conduct their jobs.
C) It is also made up of primarily Ex and Current serving UK officers.
Now for the big reveal:
The ACPO also is a business that has several subsides that supply, you guessed it, POLICE EQUIPMENT!
Let’s just see if we get our monies worth again, or we get milked of millions of dollars, AGAIN!!!!
And still left with a crime issue!
Reminds me of the IMO. The International Maritime Organisation that regulates the shipping industry.
In reality, IMO stands for International Manufacturers Organisation whose role is to make rules forcing ship owners to equip their ships with any and everything they can dream up 99 percent being useless junk with an expiry date that gets thrown away and replaced regularly.
If you have ever wondered why shipping is so expensive, now you know.
Well you don't seem to be doing so great on your own, so why don't you graciously accept the help instead of throwing your little tantrum. The uk has enough problems of it's own to contend with so if you don't want the help I'm sure that it absolutely fine with the UK taxpayer and the UK people, most of whom don't even know where the Cayman islands are, or that they are contributing some of their hard earned cash to this country, through income tax. that's right you don't have that here, so shut up and be grateful that someone in a far away country is slogging away in order to help improve things in your country, and for which, will recieve absolutely no benefit whatsoever.
No taxpayer in the UK is contributing to anything here in Cayman. We pay for everything that ever comes from the UK….including the Govenor!
Rubbish …. every tax payer in the UK pays for your defence whether they have heard of you or not!
ACPO is the Association of Chief Police Officers of the United Kingdom – exactly that, the grouping of all UK Chief Officers. Just the same as the Superintendents Association and Police Federation, a staff association.
It this does not work, I suggest "Nicholas Angel" from "Hot Fuzz"! 🙂
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha; the more things change, the more they are the same. what a joke! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha the Beaver