Archive for July, 2014
Mental health body begins to meet obligations
(CNS): Although the Mental Health Commission (MHC) was established in legislation under the Mental Health Law early last year, it has only just begun to deliver training about the legislation to stakeholders who will deal on a daily basis with mental health patients. With the spotlight well and truly on Cayman's inadequate provision for those suffering from mental health issues at the moment, for the first time key personnel such as police and prison officers, court staff as well as government workers from the Department of Children and Family Services and the Community Rehabilitation Department and some private sector staff have undergone training regarding the new law and how it impacts their jobs.
One ofthe roles of the MHC set out in that legislation is to “oversee and deliver mental health training and sensitization sessions for prison officers, constables and any other persons who may, in the performance of their functions, be expected to deal with mental health patients.”
The series of training sessions began on Thursday 24 July and participants covered topics such as the definitions, types of detention orders, comparison between the old legislation and the new, rights of the patient or nearest relative to appeal, as well as the attendees own role and how the new law will impact their function.
The training was delivered by Julene Banks, Dr Taylor Burrowes Nixon and Dr Marc Lockhart. Participants included staff from the RCIPS, Department of Community Rehabilitation, The Counseling Centre, Department of Children and Family Services, Judicial Administration, National Drug Council, Cayman Islands Red Cross, Prison Service, and both private and public mental health professionals. Future training sessions are planned for teachers, health care workers, laypersons, counsellors and other mental health professionals.
Officials from the MHC are hoping to receive feedback from the trainees by email to mhc@gov.ky.
Email accounts hacked for banking information
(CNS): the RCIPS is warning residents and businesses in the Cayman Islands to be extra vigilant if they are in the habit of conducting banking business by email or sending wire instructions to their bank by way of e-mail, following complaints that e-mail accounts are being hacked. A police spokesperson said that Gmail and Candw.ky (which is hosted by Gmail) accounts have been particularly targeted. The police are urging bank customers to follow up with their banks to confirm that they have received the correct wire instructions. Likewise, businesses and vendors/suppliers should confirm by telephone that wire instructions are legitimate.
Anyone who believes that they have fallen victim to this type of crime is asked to contact the RCIPS Financial Crime Unit at 949-8797.
‘No take’ zones benefit whole reef
(CNS): A study of no-take marine zones found that they not only help economically valuable species such as lobster, conch, and fish recover from overfishing, but may also help re-colonize nearby reef areas. The report from the Wildlife Conservation Society, represents a systematic review of research from no-take areas around the world, and comes as signatory countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity are being required to protect at least 10% of their marine territory.
The report, “Review of the Benefits of No-Take Zones” written by Dr Craig Dahlgren, a recognized expert in marine protected areas and fisheries management, was commisssioner by the WCS to describe the performance of no-take zones in Belize and in other countries to ultimately conserve highly diverse coral reef systems.
In many coastal marine ecosystems around the world, overfishing and habitatdegradation are prompting marine resource managers to find ecosystem-based solutions. The report also examines factors affecting the performance of no-take zones, such as the design, size, location, and factors of compliance with fishing regulations.
“Belize has been a leader in the region for establishing marine protected areas and has a world-renowned system of marine reserves, many of which form the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage Site,” said Janet Gibson, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Belize Program. “It’s clear that no-take zones can help replenish the country’s fisheries and biodiversity, along with the added benefits to tourism and even resilience to climate change.”
According to past studies, the recovery of lobster, conch, and other exploited species within marine protected areas with no-take zones, or fully protected reserves, could take as little as 1-6 years. Full recovery of exploited species, however, could take decades.
“The report provides a valuable guide for Belize’s marine managers and fishers,” said Dr Caleb McClennen, Executive Director of WCS’s Marine Program. “We also hope this effort will generate and sustain stakeholder support for these important regulatory tools.”
‘No case’ against Tomasa
(CNS): Justice Alex Henderson dismissed the case against David Tomasa in Grand Court Monday after submission by his lawyers Friday. Tomasa was standing trial with Brian Borden for the murder of Robert Macford Bush in September 2011 and the crown's case against him was that he supplied the ammunition for the shotgun and the handgun used in the murder. The evidence against him relied almost entirely on the testimony of Marlon Dillon and Justice Henderson said that even if Dillon's testimony was to be believed, the crown had not demonstrated that at the time of the transaction Tomasa knew what the ammunition was to be used for or that Borden intended to kill anyone.
The prosecution's case rested on the alleged confession about the murder told to Dillon while he was driving Borden home, while Tomasawas in the car. Dillon had told the court that as they passed the murder scene, Borden had pointed to the wall and said that that was where he and Keith Montague had "mashed up" Bush.
After they had dropped Borden home, according to Dillon's testimony, Tomasa had then told him that he had given the ammunition to Borden in a brown paper bag and was worried that he had not cleaned off the bullets and that the crime would lead back to him.
In his ruling, Justice Henderson noted that it was a reasonable inference that if Tomasa supplied the ammunition that it was used to kill Bush but for a murder conviction it must be proved that in aiding and abetting he was aware that the ammunition would be used to kill someone at that time, although knowledge of the identity of the victim was not required.
In Dillon's evidence, Tomasa did not say why he gave the ammunition to Borden or when this transaction took place.
Justice Henderson said there was no evidence that at the time of the transaction that Tomasa knew that Borden would use the bullets for any offence at all, only that he knew by the time of the conversation in the car that he knew it was used in the murder of Bush.
"There is no inference that David Tomas had the required state of knowledge of the crime," Henderson ruled as he discharged him of the indictment.
Hyman wins 100m heat, ready for semis
(CNS): Kemar Hyman streaked down the track, Sunday to win his heat in the men's 100m sprint and set himself up for this evenings semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow at 7-30pm UK time. The sprinter will be running in lane 4 looking for a place in the final of what is always one of the most exciting events at international meets. Meanwhile, Brett Fraser missed the medal podium in the men's 50m butterfly final when he finished 5th, clocking 23:66, Friday evening. However, the 24 year old swimmer made it through his 50m freestyle heat today with a time of 22:29 11th overall, setting himself up for another shot at a medal.
He told Cayman's pool sports reporter, Matthew Yates that he was upbeat about his chances in the 50 meter freestyle and not too disappointed about the butterfly.
“It’s always nice to medal and be on the podium,” Fraser said. “But not medaling serves as motivation for me to continue to train that much harder and strive to be there at the next competition. I thought it went pretty well. Right now, I can’t really think of too many things that I did incorrectly. When I came into the warmups, we ran through the race, simulated it a few times and it went just as smoothly as we had practiced. I’m very happy with that swim.”
Although Geoffrey Butler was second in his 200m freestyle race with a personal best his time of 1:57.13 was not fast enough to qualify. Coming in 7th in his heat in a time of 16:14:39 for the 1500m freestyle Butler also failed to qualify in that event.
Speaking about Friday Butler noted he knocked over a second of his best time. “I went out strong and just tried to hold on tofinish the swim, it was good. My main event will be the one on Monday so we’ll see how that will go," he told Yates.
Ebanks, based out of Essex in England, also missed out on the semis due to his time which was still a lifetime best.
Lauren Hew, qualified for the 50m backstroke semis in a time of 30:55 and will have to give it all shes got this evening if she is to make it to the finals. Cayman’s youngest athlete had also made the reserve list for the 100m back semis, which she says was a great accomplishment.
“It was just a bit over my Personal Best,” Hew said. “I was pretty nervous but I think for my first race at such a big competition is pretty good. I was training at Loughborough University for a couple days and then I got into the village and started training in this pool. I’ve never been in such an amazing pool so it was really good to train here and I felt really good coming into the competition.
Chris Jackson will compete in day two of the trap qualifiers tomorrow at the Barry Buddon Shooting Center in Carnoustie. Jackson, 47, is the last of the team members to fire after Edison ‘Eddie’ McLean and Andrew Schirn got their shots in last week. Schirn, 18, and McLean, 44, both competed in the skeet event but were eliminated in the opening stages. Schirn says his first Games experience was positive.
“I’ve really enjoyed it so far and I hope to be back in four years,” Schirn who finished 18th said to the pool reporter. “At first, it was pretty nerve-racking having cameras videotaping me and having a crowd watching because I never had to do that before. But in the end, it didn’t affect me as much as I thought it would.”
McLean, at his fourth Commonwealth Games, got fourth place in the second round with a score of 48.
“The team was very happy to be at the shooting village in Dundee,” Kevin Schirn Andrew's father who coaches the shooting team said. “The shooters had days of training at the range and reacquainted with friends from previous Games. The organization of the Games was great and the team was pleased with the set-up of the training fields. Our accommodations were very comfortable and training went well.”
For full results and team Cayman's events visit http://results.glasgow2014.com/nations.htmlasgow
Corrupt cop bailed
(CNS): Elvis Ebanks, who was sentenced to three years in prison last week, has been released on bail pending his appeal. Ebanks was convicted of corruption offences in connection with a bribe he solicited while on duty as an RCIPS officer from a Filipino national in order not pursue a case against him over a possible stolen phone. He spent just one night in custody at George Town police station after his sentencing following a successful closed door bail application by his attorney, Laurence Aiolif of Stenning & Associates. The appeal against the conviction is scheduled for the November session and the former cop was bailed with an evening curfew and two $10,000 sureties until that hearing.
On Thursday, during the sentence hearing, Justice Charles Quin stated that Ebanks remained in denial about his crimes but his account that the bribe was just a loan was "entirely implausible". The judge pointed out that the ex-police officer could have obtained a loan from a local bank or the civil service Credit Union on far more favourable terms than the ones he claimed he had arranged with the defendant.
Seeing no evidence of remorse and considering Ebanks to be the primary motivator of the bribe, it was more serious than the circumstances of a police officer accepting a bribe offered to him. Although the money involved was not a significant amount, as it came to around $600, the judge pointed out that it was a "substantial portion" of the victim's monthly earnings.
Despite Ebanks' previous good character, his references and the impact of his crimes on his family and career, the judge said it was difficult to find any mitigating factors in the case, and given his position of trust as an officer, the abuse of that trust called for a custodial sentence.
The judge commended Elmer (Les) Ferraris for his bravery in coming forward and reporting what had happened, despite being terrified and believing that the police were going to press on with the case against him for stealing the phone, which, Ebanks had told him, would result in Ferraris being jailed for up to ten years, even though the owner of the phone had no intentions of pursuing a complaint against Ferraris, having had it returned to him.
Justice Quin said that Ebanks' conduct had not only undermined the reputation RCIPS but also the country and the courts would not tolerate corruption, as he handed down the three year prison term and also ordered Ebanks to make a compensation order for the cash he took from his victim.
Aunt Dean still dancing at 100th birthday bash
(CNS): Wearing a glamorous ivory-pink satin gown, Dean Brown, known by everyone as Aunt Dean, danced her way from the entrance of the Brac's civic centre hall all the way to the head table at her 100 birthday bash on Wednesday. Organised by her granddaughter, Speaker of the House Juliana O'Connor-Connolly, the guest list included five generations of family and numerous friends, including Premier Alden McLaughlin and Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell. One of her two surviving sisters, Theda Bodden, joined her on the head table, together with her two surviving children, Shirleymae Connor and Annalee Ebanks, plus two sons-in-law Reynold Ebanks and Fitz Gayle (husband of Natalie). (Left: Aunt Dean dances with grandson Bunny Watson)
Aunt Dean was led in by gransons Bunny Watson and Barry Ebanks, and she danced her way up the white carpet that had been laid in her honour for the big party bash at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre on Cayman Brac.
At the feast in her honour, the amazingly spry centenarian was entertained by song and dance performances by some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as a poem for the occasion by grandchild Susan Watson. But she just couldn't keep still when well-known performer Burman Scott sang a few good soca songs, and was up and dancing again with Bunny Watson and with great-granddaughter Michella Ebanks (right, dancing with Michella, as daughter Shirleymae, grandson Bunny, great-grandson Simon, and great-granddaughters Mikita and Matasha look on).
The church choir from Church of God Holiness in Watering Place sang one of her favourite hyms, "Never grow old", and she quipped to guests that A, G and E are three letters that shouldn't be in the alphabet.
Aunt Dean married Lewin Brown when they were both 17 and they lived in Watering Place throughout their 50 years of marriage until Lewin died in 1983, aged 69. They had six children, 25 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.
Her younger sister Theda was able to join her for the celebrations. She has another surviving sister, Viola Brown, who was also her sister-in-law, having married Lewin's brother, Lester.
Below: (L-R: Shirleymae Connor, Dean Brown, Annalee Ebanks and Theda Bodden)
UK MP to press for no turtle meat for tourists
(CNS): A British Conservative MP will be coming to the CaymanIslands next week to throw his political weight behind the campaign to persuade local restaurants not to sell turtle meat to visitors. A UK charity which is on a drive to transition the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF) from a meat supplier into a purely conservation-based facility is taking aim at the tourism market as a starting point for reducing what demand exists for the meat. Matthew Offord, the Tory representative for Hendon in North London, will be hosting a reception here and also helping with the UK-based campaign to get the Conservative government to advise UK travellers at least not to eat the meat from the endangered species.
Eating turtle in the UK is illegal and in the wake of a recent statement from the UK government advising visitors to Japan not to eat live sushi, World Animal Protection (formerly the World Society for the Protection of Animals) is hoping it can get similar support for a travel advisory along the same lines for eating turtle in Cayman.
Simultaneously, Offord and the WAP will be pressing restaurants here to voluntarily stop promoting the meat to tourists. So far, the Grand Old House is the first and only restaurant to remove turtle from its menu and has agreed to sell it only to locals who pre-order the dish.
Professor Neil D'Cruze from the WAP told CNS that he appreciates that a ban maybe difficult to implement but he is hoping to persuade more restaurants to take the meat off the menu altogether voluntarily or adopt the same position as the Grand Old House, where the campaign launch will be held. The charity also wants to persuade the Department of Tourism (DoT) to support the idea of at least not promoting the meat to visitors as it believes it stimulates a false and unnecessary demand.
Concerned that the CTF has no idea what the real demand for the meat is even from locals, D’Cruze said he was delighted to hear that the Department of Environment has received funding from the UK's department of food and rural affairs' Darwin Initiative to begin a comprehensive survey of that demand and research into the genetic profile of turtles nesting on the beaches to identify the connections of the local wild turtles to the Farm.
That project is unrelated to the WAP campaign and part of the DoE's broader research work into the endangered species and their survival in the wild. It is being led by Dr Ana Nuno from the University of Exeter and is expected to provide the first truly objective information about the origin of turtles that are breeding in local waters, as well as get a true assessment of how much demand there is for meat and the issues surrounding poaching.
The WAP maintains that the CTF slaughters animals without properly assessing demand and also keeps huge numbers of the animals without knowing the true level of consumption and whether it is necessary to breed so many. D'Cruze said that any figures that can give a truer picture of how much and how many local people do eat the meat may help reduce the numbers held at the farm.
Understanding that the effort to transition the facility to conservation will be a long process, he said that simply reducing the numbers held at the farm, which are estimated to currently be more than 9,000 animals, would be a step in the right direction.
A dozen new cops prepare to hit the beat
(CNS): Twelve brand new local police officers, eight men and four women who joined he RCIPS just 16 weeks ago, have graduated from their basic training and will be hitting the beat in the coming weeks as they continue learning during a 2-year probationary period. The first ever class made entirely of Caymanian officers includes police constables Gregory Banks Jr, Sarah Joy Bodden, Kishna Burke, Kadane Hall, Craig-Anthony Jervis, Zachary McLaughlin, Kristoff Powell, Andre Savoury, Patricia Sevik, Andrae Strachan, Maxwell Thomas and Nassaria Thompson. PC Powell (left, receiving his award from the governor) was judged Best Overall Recruit. PC McLaughlin was named Best Academic Student and PC Bodden earned the Team Spirit Award.
Praising their hard work and commitment, Governor Helen Kilpatrick encouraged then to take pride in their purpose as police officers and welcomed the presence of the four women among the new graduates. “All organisations need to recruit and train new staff to benefit from fresh ideas and renewed motivation,” she said.
Commissioner of Police David Baines emphasized the rigorous training and the sanctity of the oath of office that the graduates took upon completion of their course.
“The simplicity of the oath is that it has no exceptions or qualification. It is a commitment to serve all, regardless of status, nationality or gender, to one standard and to do so to the best of their ability,” Baines stressed.
Noting that these police officers come from the same community they serve, he urged them to guard the Cayman Islands’ public without fear or favour while always displaying humanity and caring in the manner in which they engage with the people.
The recruitment campaign targeting those between 18 and 30 years, launched on 1 October 2013, and attracted over 500 applicants. This was sifted down to 200 candidates, based on recruitment criteria. The final 12 were then selected through written exams, physical tests, presentations and interviews, the audience heard.
Trainer and master of ceremonies PC Halston Farley noted that in addition to four weeks of relevant practical training, the new officers would continue to learn as part of a two-year probationary period.
“Your journey has just begun; continue to abide by your promise to the organization and your communities at large. Learning has not ceased just because you have completed your training,” he told the graduates.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of his fellow graduates for all the training opportunities, including team-building exercises, PC Thompson said the group was now better equipped for their police duties, and had received “invaluable life lessons moving forward”, as well as advanced their self-knowledge.
She said they were particularly grateful to their trainers: Sergeant Andrew Harrison (head); PCs John Rowell, Roje Williams, Gabe Rabess, Halston Farley (also drill instructor) and Senior PC Paulette Hines, with 15 other officers also providing individual lessons.
Below: Led by PC Andrew Stewart, the graduates march past before Governor Helen Kilpatrick, Commissioner David Baines and Aide-de-Camp, Inspector Ian Yearwood.
Immigration officers warned about first impressions
(CNS): The deputy governor explained to a group of new immigration recruits about to hit the front line in Cayman's border control that they would be the first government workers that visitors to Cayman will see. He urged them to take their new jobs seriously and consider how they interact with people as they are responsible for the first impression of Cayman. "This is a serious responsibility – take it seriously," said Franz Manderson. The civil service boss urged Devin Bodden, Staciemae Jackson, Yannick Powell, Jarrett Terry (left) and Marco Thompson to do their vital job well, regardless of personal bad days, ill-health, lack of sleep or emotional upsets. He also advised them that climbing the corporate ladder was about getting "noticed in a very good way”.
To do that, he said, they had to be consistently reliable, punctual and provide the best customer service possible and to remain ambitious. Having served most of his civil service career at immigration, Manderson said he had been determined to give a good impression.
Welcoming the four men and one woman into the immigration family, Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans described their role as the islands’ gatekeepers. She also explained about the induction programme, which involved 12 months of extensive training, as she asked them to maintain a positive and helpful attitude towards customers and fellow workers.
Evans spoke about the need for teamwork in a good immigration service as well as knowledgeable officers, and urged them to keep up to date on the relevant laws, regulations and policies. The head of border control also said it was equally important for the officers to be open to change and provide feedback to help solve problems and enable the department to remain dynamic.
During the graduation the new recruits received awards, which included the most improved overall award, which went to Powell, while the award for consistency in effort and application of laws, policies and procedures went to Thompson. Jackson received both the highest overall proficiency and highest academic average awards, while the officer rating highest on 33 skills encompassing attitude, knowledge and expertise was Bodden. Selected by his peers for the Spirit Award, Terry gave the student address. Emphasising their achievement in completing the training period, he remarked that they looked forward to challenging but exciting careers.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Deputy Chief Officer Wesley Howell said it was of vital importance that they represent themselves well in and out of uniform and spoke about work-life balance.
Below: The new officers share a moment with Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans, her deputies and other staff of the Immigration Department.
