Senior cop stripped to PC
(CNS): A former in inspector with the RCIPS has been stripped of his rank and reverted to a police constable following an internal police investigation, sources tell CNS. The police have confirmed that the officer was the subject of two disciplinary hearings but have refused to reveal the details of the offences that brought the former senior officer before the RCIPS' own tribunal. The commissioner's office told CNS that the officer in question was found not guilty of the offences in one of the matters before the tribunal but guilty in the other.
“We are unable to discuss the findings and/or sanctions rendered as it is likely the referenced officer will be exercising his right of appeal,” an RCIPS spokesperson stated.
Although no details of the allegations have been revealed by the commissioner, CNS has learned that the officer has been demoted back to the basic rank, indicating the severity of the offence or breach of rules. The RCIPS also denied that the internal disciplinary hearing was related in any way to a case handled by the inspector regarding a former police officer charged with unlawfully possessing police property, which is now a matter before the courts.
The confirmation regarding this recent disciplinary action comes in the wake of news concerning an ongoing internal investigation into an alleged assault by a chief inspector on a junior ranking officer which the DPP had declined to prosecute, having declared it was not in the public interests to do so.
Constable Cardiff Robinson has since filed legal action in Grand Court seeking judicial review for disclosure of the file and the ruling of the director of public prosecutions (DPP) in which she chose not to pursue criminal charges and her reasons for that decision ahead of possible civil action against the police. Robinson filed an incident report in February regarding an alleged assault against him by a senior police officer, Chief inspector Frank Owens,who is in charge of George Town police station.
The complaint was passed by the RCIPS to the DPP, who advised several months later that a criminal charge was made out against Owens but a decision had been made not to prosecute on the grounds of public interest immunity and recommended that the matter be handled internally
The issue of the RCIPS policing themselves has been a cause for concern in the wider public for some time but it is also something that the Police Association has alsoqueried.
In the Robinson case a spokesperson for the association told CNS that they were concerned about the internal enquiry as they questioned who in police management was not already conflicted or compromised in some way in connection with the case.
The concern of the Police Association is that there can be no one who is in a position to fairly oversee the investigation. More than a dozen complaints have been made to the association against the same senior officer, who has not been suspended from duty and currently remains in charge of one of the largest group of officers in the RCIPS.
The police representative body also has concerns which have reportedly been raised with the commissioner that its membership already has issues about the levels of inequality within the service.
“Our wider membership has been concerned for some time about the inequality that exits in the RCIPS when it comes to the treatment of some officers over others,” the association told CNS.
Related article:
Senior cop under investigation
Category: Crime
Thats how Tings roll under the British better get use to it Old Bye. Those officers who could or would stand up have been systematically remove or left because they saw the futility and complicity of leadership to do something about the situation. Those who spoke out are still being ostracized for it even in private life.
In a recent case against another local police officer who was convicted of assault at a Gas station which was higlighted yet the same decision against a foreign officer who ran down a local male with a police vehicle was taken not to charge him put rumour has it that compensation has been paid. The recolonisation of the RCIPS was well planned and executed and supported by certain local officials who thought that they would be the benefactors from all the chaos that occurred but alas those tricky British have once again trump them eh? When you read this article carefully you infact have been given the real reason why this officer was targeted by those who now are now in full control of the RCIPS. How dare you even question the integrity of your Colonial master some have been jailed in the past for those thoughts. Nowdays we simply destroy your credibility mental, economically and socially far worse than being jailed. Those who expect public support from an alienated public and the colonial disciples in gov't and private sector are in for a real shock. Well i guess that leaves only two options join the Brits or join the Lodge. Aaaaaah bwoy play de ting daadaadaadaada play de ting daadaaadaadaa. The same old game only the names will change in this land of confusion. Where have all the real Police gone???
Either Mr. Owens should be dismissed or the Commissioner of Police should resign.
It's a different case. Not the one with Mr Owens
From what I understand, this may be a war between Caymanian Officers vs Rest world in retaliation for the dismissal of certain ex-Caymanian officers in recent years…is anyone willing to tell the truth?
Allegations of this kind are almost impossible to investigate from an impartial standpoint because impartial implies non Caymanian, which means we are back to tribal issues and loyalties at the expense of the truth.
Perhaps we should no longer employ Caymanian police officers and then this issue would not arise.
One-Way Mirrors??
WHy doesnt the same transparancy they demand of us (with CCTV cameras, right to search/arrest/imprisonment based on shoddy evidence etc) apply to THEM also??
Put the names and pic out so we can congratulate him in the supermarket aisles
I thought assault was a criminal offence whoever committed it. To me, Police should be held to a higher standard of behaviour since they uphold the law. The fact that a senior officer assualted a junior officer is worse in my mind because he abused his position and probably thought he could get away with it – and let's face it he has not faced a criminal charge, which the rest of us would. Yet another disgraceful example of behaviour of a higher up. Cayman seems to be full of this.
Since when is it ever in the interest of the public to NOT prosecute a police officer for assault?
Let's examine the "Double Standards" that apparently exist's in the RCIPS – which is primarily controlled by UK officers. You have a Chief Inspector from the UK who is promoted by this present RCIPS Administration, and he is later accused of committing a criminal offence (Assault) in a public place, against his junior officer. This is apparently done in the presence of numerous independent witnesses. The matter is criminally investigated and as is protocol in an investigation of this nature, the file would have passed the Commissioner's office in route to the DPP. We all know what the DPP ruled and there seems to be no action taken internally by the RCIPS high command.
Ok, now let's look at the allegation that apparetly led to the Inspector now being demoted by two ranks, which is unheard of in the RCIPS history and no doubt most police forces around the world. In all likelyhood, the Inspector in question, is now receiving a constable salary and the UK Sergeant on his shift, could be now be receiving an acting Inspector salary and could be promoted within a short time, by the same administration that promoted the Chief Inspector.
As it relates to the demoted Inspector, if you have numerous reports that a Special Constable of the RCIPS collected monies from numerous complainant's and promised to do certain works on their vehicles, but instead, left the jurisdiction with their monies and never to be seen or heard from again, is it unlawful or unethical by the Inspector to put a "STOP NOTICE" at Immigration for this person, should he return ??
As with a "A Civil Matter and A Criminal Matter" sometimes there is a fine line that differentiates the two, for which police officers are not supposed to get involved into CivilDisputes. Eg. (1) If I loaned you money and you promised to repay me by a certain time and did not do so, that is clearly a Civil Matter. (2) If I gave you money for work/services to be done and you only did part of the work or if you did complete it, and it was not up to a reasonable standard, then clearly that's a Civil Matter as well.
However, if you collected monies from numerous persons (understood to be eight persons or possibly more) and the complainants "believed" that they would have received value for their monies that they parted with, and there was "no apparent intention" to do such by the person who collected these monies, having left the jurisdicion for over a year and a half – never to be seen or heard from again, is this matter Criminal or Civil ????
Is it wrong to put a "STOP NOTICE" at Immigration that in the event of this person coming back to the jurisdiction, that he be stopped and questioned or arrested on suspicion of Obtaining Property By Deception ?? Never mind, the person who left the jurisdiction, did not return or attempt to do so, which never caused the "STOP NOTICE" to be inacted.
Additionally, has the Police Law been amended that a "Deputy Commissioner of Police" and not the Commissoner of Police himself, can sit as head of a disciplinary tribunal and have the legal authority to pass sentence of Dismissal, Discharge, Demotion etc…. on an officer from the rank of Inspector and below ??
I believe there is lot's of explaining to do by the RCIPS Management as it relates to this "strange disciplinary proceedings" againist this Inspector and his subsequent demotion by two ranks, by a serving Deputy Commissoner of Police.
Well, that's about 30 seconds of my life I ain't getting back now I have read this.
I guess there just isn't enough Police work for this person.
What seems like another case of Maladministration within the RCIPS here is that there appears to be a lack of guidance given by the Commissioner on the issuance of Stop Notices.
This is absolutely outrageous. This is why Cayman is coming to what it is now. Situations like this being handled the way it is.
Of course none of his peers will charge him. Why would they. This should be dealt with from an outside group with no influence from any officer. He should be stripped of his big salary along with his rank. What message does it send to our young officers with being assulted from a senior officer, no matter what the circumstances are. Shouldn't it be the other way around where a senior officer should be telling the constable that he needs to act in a mannerly way in public, in uniform, no matter what the circumstances.
I hope that the civil court takes a strong look at this. This senior officer has been known to bully before, and should not be allowed away with it this time.
I really hope an example is set here and the course is changed to make sure ALL parties are dealt with accordingly.
Name him.
take your title and give you a large pay cheque ! priceless !
If they are bent, they are bent.
Get rid of them regardless of where they are from or what rank.
The Commissioner and his cohorts that have been imported from the UK, are hurting Cayman in a big way. What they doing is retiring all the long serving locals and replacing with RETIRED OLD PEOPLE. I’m not surprised by this.
I could't agree with you more Ex-Police. The general public may not know as the police high command is cagey on giving the public information on what goes on in RCIP but since 2009 its a systimatic erosion of the RCIP. The mindset is that the local police are inefficient and currupt . The least infraction the local will be thrown out. Thats why you see incidents like this one. Of course the white Chief Inspector who dare to slap a local black officer is allowed to continue in his job. They are quick to dismiss locals and the west indians without cayman status. they hold their contract over their heads like a massive 2 edged sword. These want to keep thir jobs so they are afraid to speak out. You have officers from the UK who are retired and on pension and are taking up posts in the RCIP but they are quick to let go non-Brits.
The thing with us is that these people have been making eloquent speeches at social gatherings and in newspapers and on Rooster 101 call in programme and the public "swallow pills" without question. We heard that a substantial number of the officers could not read and write properly, then there was the polygraph test.the unfair transfer of specialist officers with years of service in their specialised fields but it appears that everything is being done to discredit local officers as an excuse to bring in their friends from"over there"
'We heard that a substantial number of the officers could not read and write properly,'
We subsequently see the words 'currupt', 'systimatic', 'programme' accompanied by bad grammar and punctuation, I think you have just proved a point.
Sadly, not the one you intended to prove.
What's wrong with "programme"?
There's nothing wrong with "programme". Pre ITBritish spelling.
'Hurting Cayman in a big way' should read 'making cops accountable, productive and working for their salary'!
Important question. to rule out descrimination, nationalism, racism and nepotism.
Where is he from:
Caymanian
UK National
Canadian
Jamaican
Barbadian
Nigerian
American
Other
BLACK OR WHITE?
This is going to be very interesting. If you think none of these factors will play out think again,
Somebody quickly find out thenationality and ethnicity of this cop. It will inmpoact the entire outcome of this case or cases scenario.,
Did you ever do a research project?
http://www.compasscayman.com/story.aspx?id=106879
07:29
This is a different case, the Inspector here is a caribbean (status holder) officer.
Why has he still got a job?
Good point.
I understand this demotion option was dropped by the police in most of the UK (Northern Ireland still has it) in 2004 because it was realised that any offence serious enough to merit a drop in rank was also sufficient to warrant dismissal.
I suggest that ALL police officers need to post on CNS their experience and knowledge about the abuses being committed within the RCIP, generally, and as it relates to Discipline and Promotion, in particular.
The current Management of the RCIPS clearly has issues, and the RCIPS needs to reviewed,
09:17
What is the point?
Who is going to investigate anything? The new computer programmer who is incharge of Police @ Internal External affairs?
No one cares about helping the working Police officers as long as they get their big salary!
I read in the Caymanian Compass that GT-MLA Ellio Solomon has brought a Motion to the LA requesting that the Complaints Commissioner have the power to investigate the police as it relates to "discipline and promotion"! – So that's a good start.
A better start would be to pass the law giving the Commission for Integrity in Public Life some teeth. Unfortunately, they also have the power to investigate politicians so you can forget about that one.
What about giving them the power to investigate MLA's? Bet that won't happen. Stamp out corruption everywhere but where it really matters: at the top.
aaarrrrr this place and these hypocritical people are really gettinmg on my nerves.
If you read the Law you would know that the Complaints Commissioner has this power.
Read – it won't hurt, promise.
When Elio and his co-cronies, accept and respect the decisions of the Commissioner that criticize the Government I will listen. This is just a hypocritical piece of self-publicity.
I hope personal –to- holder regarding the officer salary due to the demotion is not upheld. It baffles me, when an individual is found guilty of offense xxxx yet maintains their upper management salary. This clearly sends the wrong message and should be rectified (I'm not stimulating that the officer in question retained his salary).
Will they be taking his license to drive police vehicles too since this officer was not arrested . We applaud the RCIPS efforts to clean up this mess that has lingered for years however the disparity how local and foreign officers are being treated is blantantly obvious that it is actual undermining this very effort. How truly sad for us here Cayman still living the colonial dream.
I don't get it…one charge he was found not quilty but the second he was found quilty of and stripped of his rank. This isn't the military, the RCIPS is paid by the CI Government (our money), he should have been dismissed from the police force. He committed an offence and thats it….how do we as a people respect someone like that now? How can we trust this individual to uphold the law????? Come on..if it was you or me….
anon@08:55 youdon't know what is happening in your own Police Service. If you only Know what is happening in the RCIP with abuses and discrimination you would be flabergasted.
MY friend trust me things are not always what they appear to be.