Archive for March 8th, 2012
Fighting crime
Premier McKeeva Bush: “While Cayman has experienced a spike in crime recently, it is still much more secure than many other places. When all is said and done, we have much to be thankful for.” Whilst I agree with the general statement that “we have much to be thankful for”, I think that our premier is missing the point entirely. Watching the world fall apart and commenting that Cayman is falling apart more slowly, therefore we’re better off than most and it’s all relative, is quite plainly ridiculous.
We can all be thankful when we compare ourselves to others less fortunate, equally we can all become very disappointed when comparing ourselves to those better off – if you’re constantly having to compare yourself to others to find something to be thankful for, you’re in a very sorry state indeed.
We should maintain a standard that is acceptable and not let that standard slip just because others have let their standards slip further.
Let’s consider the facts:
We’ve spent $57 million this financial year on crime fighting. I know some (perhaps most) of this has been spent on customs and immigration and border protection; however, I would be interested to see the breakdown on what may or may not have been spent in the fight against petty crime, which has increased exponentially – to say we’ve experienced a “spike in crime recently” is to seriously downplay the anarchy that is playing out on our streets on a daily basis.
As an example, I have taken to making a note of every vehicle on the road every day that has something wrong with the vehicle itself or with the person driving it. I drive approximately 10 miles to work every day and 10 miles home. During this 20 mile round trip, I spot at least 8 cars each day (and not the same ones every day) with broken tail lights, brake lights, persons notwearing seat belts, speeding, etc. Just this year to date, had I been a policeman on duty on my route to work and back, I could have stopped and fined 368 persons (this doesn’t include any of the cars I have spotted on the weekends). Even at $100 per fine, this raises funds (or perhaps pays a decent salary) in a very short space of time.
The point is, of course, that (it is hoped) the fines will run out as everyone starts to once more obey the law. The only plausible theory as to why there has been an enormous increase in the lack of observance of the traffic law (and this is just one example of the many laws out there currently being disregarded) is that there doesn’t seem to be any fear of being caught.
I have spotted 3 police cars in TOTAL during the 46 (up to and including March 7th) working days of this year during my 20 mile daily round trip.
I know there are many good policemen and women out there doing their very best under very difficult circumstances. I just have no idea how in the past 20 years we’ve come from a society that used to take the purchase of bicycle licenses seriously (and the lack of having a license for your bicycle was an offense) to a society that doesn’t seem to take the purchase of vehicle licenses seriously.
Rudy Guiliani knew he was fighting a losing battle in New York by trying to focus on BIG crime whilst the petty criminals slowly but surely ate away at the fabric of society and slowly permeated every aspect of society. So he asked his policemen to police the petty “criminals” – all those with broken tail lights, those running red lights, those not wearing seat belts. I guarantee you will catch more than a few “innocent” people – perhaps single men or women who were unaware a brake light was out (it’s hard to know when you live alone and they have my sympathy) BUT, equally, I guarantee you’ll catch many petty criminals who simply don’t care and perhaps some of the more serious criminals who we know absolutely don’t care.
Rudy Guiliani said, “It’s about time law enforcement got as organized as organized crime” and I would agree – there needs to be method to our madness and not just the madness.
We need people to keep the laws of the road for fear of getting caught.
I strongly believe that this may only be the tip of the iceberg but it’s a start and we’ve got to start somewhere – diluting our resources by trying to solve everything at once is plainly not working so let’s look at the overall picture – choose an area to eradicate and start from there so that law and order once again permeates our society instead of anarchy.
We want to feel safe again – we want to feel protected – we don’t simply want to be “thankful because we still happen to be more secure than other places.”
Minister says equality law most important for 50 years
(CNS): The community affairs minister has said that the passage of the Gender Equality Law is the most significant piece of legislation government has created in over 50 years to address equality issues in the Cayman Islands. In his International Women’s day message Mike Adam said that the law covers issues such as protection from gender discrimination in employment, training and recruitment; equal pay for equal work; and protection from sexual harassment in the work place; and equal treatment related to the provision of goods, services and facilities.
“With the passage of this legislation and the Gender Equality Tribunal in place, the right of women and girls, and men and boys to be treated equally in the Cayman Islands have been strengthened and legitimized,” he said as he encouraged people to find out more about their rights under the law.
The health minister, Mark Scotland said that the local health authority was marking International Women’s Day With Cayman's first annual Women’s Health Conference, which will focus on prevention.
"Throughout the day, various speakers will be discussing the diseases that are of most concern to women in an effort to create awareness and encourage preventative measures. Participants will learn about heart disease, diabetes, obesity, breast disorders, cervical cancer and depression. In addition, there will be sessions on contraceptives and self-defense," he added.
See the community affairs minister’s full message below and visit www.genderequality.gov.ky to learn more about the law and equality issues.
GT traders fear CHEC deal
(CNS): A group of downtown George Town merchants are appealing to government to consult with the local traders before signing a deal to build the cruise berthing facilities with China Harbour Engineering Company. Although the merchants are in favour of a cruise dock, they believe the CHEC plan, with its 100,000 sqft of retail space, will be the ‘last nail in the coffin’ for many of the waterfront traders, who are “currently hanging on by a thread.” The merchants warn that any benefits associated with cruise berthing will be outweighed by what they described as an “excessive retail component” that will turn the downtown area of the capital into a ghost town.
In a two page letter signed by more than 30 local traders, setting out the historic problems faced by George Town businesses catering to cruise passengers, not least the negative impact of the Royal Watler, the merchants are appealing for more consultation over the cruise berthing plans.
The letter, which talks about the declining cruise business as a result of the failure of successive governments to start the piers, was handed to government on Wednesday. The signatories believe this failure is behind the numerous empty stores in downtown George Town but government’s decision to work with a developer that plans to construct such a significant retail upland element will, they fear, cancel out the anticipating benefit.
“Unless we are going to be guaranteed 3.5 to 4 million cruise passengers annually, the introduction of what we understand to be in excess of 100,000 sq ft of new retail space will definitely be the last nail in the coffin for many of us who are currently hanging on by a thread,” the downtown traders write in the letter, spearheaded by Noel March, a former member of the Port Authority Board and downtown merchant.
“We fully agree that we need to construct a berthing facility, and feel that the benefits that it will bring will definitely fill those retail spaces that are currently empty and put those of us who are still in business back on the track to prosperity, but not one that we cannot benefit from because of an excessive retail component.”
The traders are afraid that the CHEC proposal will "create a ghost town” in George Town and March said Merchants are at the “point of despair” because of the proposed amount of retail space to be situated within the proposed facility, according to information from the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce.
The traders point out that the amount of proposed retail space at the new terminal will jeopardize George Town, Grand Cayman as a ‘walking destination for our cruise visitors because they will be corralled into the berthing facility, negatively impacting every merchant on the waterfront. The letter calls on the government to consider the retail businesses who have already invested heavily in cruise tourism, including the many landlords with empty spaces, as well as the small business owners who are hanging on hoping that the cruise berthing will save them.
“We implore you … to first consult the public and downtown merchants through public meetings before proceeding any further with your negotiations,” the traders ask, referring to the ongoing talks with CHEC.
The letter also points to the lack of communication over the project from the current administration, not just with the public but the stakeholders. The merchants say they have a number of questions over the plans that were circulated by CHEC’s partners in Jamaica during a Chamber of Commerce visit last year to see the Chinese firm's work.
March noted that the CHEC plan, compared to previously proposed projects, includes acres of unnecessary dredging, wiping out snorkelling reefs that lie in the area to the north of the Royal Watler, along with the classic George Town waterfront view, and will add tens of thousands of square feet of retail that will compete directly with existing merchants. The size of this plan relative to the size of George Town is already quite significant, March notes, but compounding that the plan is on two levels.
As downtown retailers increase their opposition to CHEC, others are calling on this government to get a dock going as soon as possible after almost three years of negotiations with three different companies. Ever since the Cayman Islands Government began to consider cruise berthing, the plans have constantly been undermined by numerous factors, from government indecision to funding problems.
The plans by developer GLF Construction appeared to be the closest government had come to breaking ground on a cruise berthing pier last April before the premier pulled the plug on the talks with the firm on the eve of signing a main agreement. Bush said he did not believe the company could fund the project and he was keen to begin the development as soon as possible.
He switched horses and began talking with CHEC, signing an MOU with the Beijing based firm in June. Government has been in talks with the firm since then, despite opposition from a number of quarters, including the Port Authority Board. Few details about the state of the negotiations have been released but the premier has talked recently of signing the main deal with CHEC next month and even beginning construction by April with a view to the facilities being completed by next summer.
See Merchant’s letter to government and latest proposed berthing plans below.
Bush ‘serious about crime’
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has spent more than ten percent of its entire budget on fighting crime and the criminal justice system, the premier has revealed. Speaking at a special ceremony to mark the official inauguration of the customs department’s new hi-tech scanner, the premier said his government was serious about tackling crime. The new equipment, along with an earlier financial boost to the law enforcement budget on top of appropriated funds has culminated in the UDP administration spending more than $57 million this financial year on crime fighting and border security.
McKeeva Bush said he understood that people were frustrated by the rise in crime but his government had invested millions of dollars in the fight against crime and said government would like to do even more, but as everyone knows times are tough.
Bush cut the official ribbon Tuesday evening on custom’s new Heimann Cargo Vision Mobile (HCVM) x-ray inspection system, which, the premier said, would enable the department to check “every nook and cranny” of containers coming into and leaving Cayman. He said he was very pleased that his administration was able to acquire the specialist equipment that the customs department had been wanting for several years.
“This is an important day for crime fighters and customs officers as the equipment can provide 100% inspection,” he said, adding that it fulfilled a long held goal of the department. “This will enhance our capacity to protect the integrity of the Cayman Islands from imported threats and will secure government revenue without interrupting the flowof business.”
Before the state-of-the-art scanner arrived on island customs officers had to randomly inspect containers manually, which meant many units came and went without ever being inspected. As a result of several seizures of weapons found in containers secreted inside toys and household appliances, it is clear that gun smugglers are using the port as one of their means of smuggling in weapons and other illegal contraband.
Bush said his government has spent the money because it was serious about crime and protecting the borders. The new system cost around $3 million but not only will it be used to clamp down on smuggling of drugs and guns it will also improve in revenue collection for government by enabling officers to check every container against its manifest.
Jeffery Jackson, the project leader, told CNS that so far the equipment has been tested on around 80 containers, most of which were empty, but of the dozen or so units carrying goods it has already found undeclared items in one container, enabling officers to collect the extra revenue.
It will also help the local customs department to meet international standards and with regional partnerships. The premier said at the special ceremony that the equipment would be a welcome boost to government coffers but it was welcomed even more by the police as it would now mean that the customs department could directly assist the RCIPS in is fight against gun crime.
He asked for everyone’s patience while the new system became fully operational. While there would be some early delays, in the long run it would speed up the process, he said. The premier also revealed that ten new jobs would be created at customs as a result of the introduction of the new security system and he called on the country to be more supportive of all young officers who were learning the job.
Bush said people needed to criticise less and be more supportive in general of the country’s law enforcement officers in customs and immigration as they all worked very hard and were tasked with the tremendous responsibility of protecting us all. “It is very easy to criticise and say mean things,” Bush added, as he called on the community not to criticise but to encourage and support all law enforcement officers.
The premier also said that while Cayman had experienced a spike in crime recently, it was still much more secure than many other places. “When all said and done, we have much to be thankful for,” he added.