Cops record fall in crime
(CNS): Despite the recent spate of robberies and street muggings, the RCIPS has reported further falls in crime levels in Cayman for 2012. The latest police statistics reveal a significant fall in serious crimes in 2012 by 17% over 2011, which was also lower than 2010. Robberies, one of the islands’ most pressing crime issues, fell by almost 42% last year, with 39 reported incidents compared to 67 in 2011. With only one fatal shooting, which happened in December, the police saw the lowest murder rate in Cayman for many years. In his speech at the opening of the Grand Court last week, the attorney general commended the police commissioner and his team for “an outstanding job” keeping a “tight grip on anti-social behaviour and law and order.”
The crime statistics make encouraging reading for 2012 as most crimes are falling, with the notable exception of the possession of imitation firearms, wounding, rape and aggravated burglary. In total 628 serious crimes were reported to the police, which is 131 less than those reported in 2011 and almost 200 less than those reported in 2010.
Overall 2,659 crimes were reported in 2012, which is a drop of 367 separate crimes, with a 12.13% fall over the last twelve months when compared to the previous year.
See latest crime statistics here.
Category: Crime
Not so!
Many people dont even bother to report property crimes any more.
Also, why still compare now to a HIGH CRIME year, as the benchmark?
Why not do a decade ago vs. today?
Or even an average of the past decade??
Damned lies + statistics is all I see!!
Non-reporting has a lot to do with this.
The public's confidence in RCIP is very low leading to many crimes not being reported.
If you don't record the crime it can't be part of the stats.
When you see the headline “Cops record fall in crime”, the question you should ask yourself is; is it REALLY a record fall in crime, or is it a record fall in crimes being reported?!?!
If you are satisfied with the cops report, then good for you but please sleep with one eye open. If it is that you chose the latter as your answer, then you feel like me and the many people I have spoken to. The sentiment is simply based on interaction with the police for one reason or another or another. Inept is the only word that comes to mind.
Let me be clear, statistics can be and in my opinion, is being twisted so that they can claim brownie points with the public. The problem is that we the public, are not as easily swayed or duped as they think we are. Yes we are too passive (for the most part), but not easily fooled. I have considered that they might actually believe their own story too. Either way it still solidifies my opinion of them.
This is unfortunate as I am a big believer in community service. I do my part in the community. I would love to support the RICPS, but with a large portion of them doing their “tour of duty” in exchange for some fun in the sun while crimes go unsolved and case after case being thrown out of court due to poor evidence collection etc. I and many others like me just can’t or won’t any longer.
Mr. Governor we need an rcip that give arrests & convection not a free paycheck!
caymanian
What about the crime that doesn’t reach the press Mr. Baines like weekly stolen boat engines etc!!!!
Braca
Wow, there are a lot of cynical people on here. If you were the victim of crime you are not going to feel like there has been much improvement in crime levels but there have been fewer shootings. Give the guy credit where credit is due.
Baines has been in Lala land from the time he got here. If anybody believes this crap ask the newspapers and the blogs how much they have reported vs his statistics. Furthermore my faith in the police is non-existent just becasue they do not have proper training nor are they even knowledgeable about crimes committed or being committed around them. Tehy are a reactive force not a proactive one. They don't prevent or solve crimes, they just mudle them up so the criminals go free.
I had to laugh at the Scenes of Crime division who came to my house to check for fingerprints after I was broken in. They claimed they could not find any fingerprints. I said are you sure? Yes, they answered. Not even mine? No no finger prints…Good Lord I have lived in the house practically all my life and the last time I checked my fingers were still intact..What a fricken waste of time and the people's money. Do you think there is a chance in hell I am going to get my property back with these yahoo's looking for it.?.
Baines you are good and fluffing stuff to make yourself and RCIP look good…From where i stand, it stinks to high heaven…
Try again…your statistics are way off!
So, you are suggesting that there has not been a huge reduction in the number of murders this year? Or the fact that with the murder we have seen, it did not give rise to a spate of tit-for-tat killings?
Credit where it's due – Baines seems to be doing a good job. If everyone is so sure there are problems, why doesn't CNS give us details of the number of crimes they have reported on over the past year that haven't made it into the RCIPS reports?
just like in another crime that was not reported by police and reported by the victim…they said they could not fingerprint a char..
And if you believe that, you will believe anything.
When you own the studio, you can record any song you want.
Baines and the govt fiance officer are in the same boat (lost), one minute the country crime is down & the other minute crime is up! They’re lost & need to be replaced with someone who can do their jobs!
Braca
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments.
Great job Mr. Barnes! It can not be easy to police a third world country that still belives a 5th grade education is enough to get by. If it were not for you and the other expat officers just use your imagination on what life would be like here for the non-intitled. Expat and Caymanian alike. Keep fighting for the ones who pay the bills.
You obviously have never had anything stolen and tried to get the RCIPS to come and take your report or even do a follow up. If you did, you will know what the rest of us are talking about. They are useless!!!
Another attempt by Commissioner Baines to try and baffle the public with BS. Sir, how stupid do you think we are?
People don't always report robberies, for what really?!? My car was stolen and it was reported immediately. My car sat parked behind the police station for 11 months before I got a call. A masked man broke into my apartment, I called 911 during the incident. Nothing came out of it. My kids and I are still traumatized by the incident till this day. The public need to regain confidence in the police department. But believe me, I can count at least 6 other times that my apartment/car was broken into. Crime is alot higher than the statistics show.
Then simple – make a freedom of information request to see if your crimes are included in the RCIPS statistics. If they are not, then someone, somewhere must resign as being a liar. If they are, you have no argument…
During the tenure of this Baines chappy, the police have become very secretive, aloof and generally unhelpful. I know of at least three incidents that have occurred recently involving frightening experiences for members of the public who have been treated shabbily by the police.
An endorsement by the Attorney General can count for nothing as we cannot even trust him to uphold the Constitution that he is sworn to protect. These are sorry days that we live in.
Mr. Baines, there is NOTHING encouraging about your policing in the Cayman Islands. There are many decent cops with a heart in RCIPS and I hope that some of them are given a chance to rise through the ranks, because mustard is just not getting cut by this current crop.
Very Funny man that commissioner is, considering the police don't show up when people actually report crimes, no wonder his stats are down, give us a break, does he really think we are that stupid?
What is funny, when I had a fender-bender that did not even leave a scratch on the other vehicle or mine, but they called the police, the Police came and spent 20 min "documenting" the accident. I asked them aren't going to take pictures of the "damage"? They said they don't have cameras! ???
In anothe case, 2 police officers came to my friend's work to escort her to the court to pay a $50 traffic fee, they were with her the entire time, about 3 hours. I thought she was kidding when she told me the story. She did not pay because she could not take time off work…you know how it is done in Cayman. It would have taken 2 min to pay on internet in US.
Lol What a joke to read this!
I was broken into this weekend along with three others last week in the same area!!!!
Guess they are not including us 😉
I was also informed that Cayman has the highest breakins per capitat in the world, but that was covered up and never passed to the general public!
So sorry for that prominent Caymanian who is very hard working and goes home to find himself at such a loss. I understand that their Caymanian pass ports were stolen. What the hell would a Caymanian nedd to steal a passport for, this is the first clue. However when driving around during the days there are so many strange people walking even with dogs in all these used to be nice neighbourhoods. With the amount of Police that we now have wouldnt it make it much safer to have a police car out on patrol in each neighbour hood day and night, at least tis would put some fear in them.These boys with their pants hanging down under their bottoms and pulling their dogs along dont mean anything good. Little sub stations with cameras in the neighbourhood would also be helpful. Lets hope that our new in coming Politicians will look in this. It can be done if we save on some of the trips abroad, and this just dont mean Mack only.
Meanwhile I have criminals casing my house after stealing a cell phone from a vehicle parked infront. I have phone records with gps coordinates from the stolen phone and now get calls on my landline at random times checking if anyone is at home. Provided all this to the RCIPworthless. Their response…. We can’t do anything just put up lights outside your house. They have a chance to stop multiple robberies before they happen yet still sit on their backsides. Great police work.
Good point. Simple find my phone technology could nab a few of these crooks.
Good old fashioned police work is needed!
Start with any and all lay-a-bouts on the streets. Cops need to question suspicious characters and enforce immigration too. Fix our unemployment and vocational skill problems and crime will drop.
Take away the need for crime.
There is so much crime that goes unreported due to a lack of faith in the police to do or be able to do anything about it when someone is robbed or burglarized that it makes these statistics as useful as tits on a bull. It is called window dressing and the belief that impressions are all important and the reality of the situation remains ignored, covered up and not corrected and/or mitigated in any meaningful way.
THEN REPORT IT AND MAKE THE COMMISSIONER LOOK BAD!!! Until then, your argument looks ridiculous!
You know the statistics are probably spot on. I for one will not be reporting any crime to the police. But dam skippy for sure I will be ready for dem bandits. And let the AG have anything to say to me then. I will sue his ras.
Maybe the reason reported crime is down is because, due to lack of confidence in the RCIP, victims are not reporting crime.
This is a fall in reported crime not necessarily in crimes committed. I know lots of people who have been the victim of crimes but they don't bother calling RCIPS unless they're making an insurance claim. They know if they call no-one will care and the crime will never be solved anyway. That's why crime is down.
It is pretty bold to attribute any change to their involvement when they act only as a cleanup crew.
Clen up crew?? Who cleans up after they come in and paint your house with fingerprint dust – knowing damn fine they are not going to do anything with it.
RCIPS is a joke. The officers dont give a **** the one that attended my robbery was on the phone, very obviously a personal call all the time he was in my house.
An absolute disgrace.
If the RCIPS are only reporting to the press a redacted version of the actual reported crime complaints, then what faith can we have in their statistics?
I shake myhead when I read these claims.
The news is FILLED with robbery reports…
The RCIPS needs to just stay mum or continue to look foolish to those who read.
Could somebodeeee please inform that gentlemen who was robbed at gun point on Old Crewe Road of these crime statistics because i am absolutely sure he is going to feel a whole lot better and be reassure he is still realitively safe by this momentus announcement! Only Cayman. You can prove anything by statistics accept the truth.