Crime down say statistics
(CNS): According to statistics revealed by the police commissioner, the number of serious crimes that were reported during the first quarter of 2011 has fallen by almost 27 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010. Although robberies have increased by 215%, a significant decline in burglaries, murders, attempted murders and other crimes have pushed the overall numbers downward. Although there is a perception that crime is on the increase, the statistics tell a different story. Speaking at a special awards ceremony to honour members of the RCIPS on Friday evening, David Baines said the statistics reflected the hard work of the men and women in the police service. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
The statistics reveal that the only other serious crime category besides robbery to see an increase in reports in the first quarter of this year was wounding, which had risen to five in 2011 compared to only one in the first quarter of 2010. All other categories of crime were being reported considerably less frequently at the start of this year than last, despite the perceptions as a result of the continued surge in robberies.
“Reductions by over 43 percent in serious crime and 27 percent in overall crime this year, when compared to the same period in 2010, is testament to the hard work of our police officers,” Baines told the audience.
According to an RCIPS press release, there were over 400 people at what was the first RCIPS Outstanding Service Awards event. The gala event was designed to celebrate the contribution of police staff and community members towards keeping the Cayman Islands safe, and six awards were presented.
Among those awarded was Senior Police Constable Davis ‘Scottie’ Scott (right), who won the Police Officer of the Year Award. SPC Scott was honoured for the significant role he played in a number of high profile investigations in East End. His commitment, leadership and dedication to the East End community had been influential in the lives of young officers assigned to work with him, the RCIPS stated.
Garnet McLaughlin won the award for Support Staff Member of the Year. She was described as helpful, friendly, warm and patient, even during the lengthy hours required in her job in the Financial Crime Unit. The staff of the Caribbean Club received the Community Award for their part in the apprehension of two men with a firearm on their premises earlier this year.
Special Constabulary Sergeant Craig Coe won the Special Constable of the Year Award for his work with the management and deployment of special constables. He played an integral part in RCIPS “Hot Spot” Team which has been instrumental in reducing crime in the Cayman Islands over the last year.
Detective Inspector Winston Forth won the Diversity Award for his dedication to the RCIPS in working with young people, schools and community events.
The Sister Islands Police Staff were given the Police Welfare Award for their donation of almost 1000 hours in accrued time to a colleague whose son needed medical treatment in Miami. The officer had used up all of her vacation time. Therefore, her colleagues pulled together to gift her their own accrued time, thus enabling her to spend time in the US with her son as he underwent treatment.
The event was completely underwritten by corporate sponsorship and tickets sales. It is expected that the Police Welfare Fund will benefit to the tune of around $50,000 from the night.
In his introduction Baines said public display of support for the event sent a strong message to the critics of the RCIPS.
Category: Headline News
I hope the new view that crime is down, is not only because of the decision of the CoP last year to change how crimes are recorded by the RCIPS and reported to the public.
There’s another old saying, Mac… "Don’t p#ss down my back and tell me it’s raining." Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfdpcrOgUp4
Someone probably theifed the real stats. I think these figures are made up 😀
Good news on the murder rate. Couldn’t really be worse than the last set of figures. Currently everyone is worried about the number of armed robberies which the stats seem to show is continuing to escalate. Bid support to the police needed by the community.
Last year there were 4 unsolved armed robberies in one week. If there are only 2 during the same week this year does that mean crime has fallen by 50% and the problem is solved?
Well, here we go again. A positive story and all the naysayers turn up to say that the statistics are wrong and these island are a lot less safe and a lot more violent. It’s amazing how people never accept the good statistics, but jump on the bad ones straight away. Progress is being made in these areas. Criminals realise that they have to minimise the evidence left behind in order to get away with a crime and this is why robberies are peaking. – Notice how the average for the start of the year was one every 3.8 days, but over the past few weeks there’s only been one?
People cannot blame the police for these crimes – all the police can do is make it difficult for people to commit crime, and catch them when they do. That seems to be happening. For once why can’t we applaud the hard work that the RCIPS is doing, acknowledge that progress IS being made, and allow time before we all start criticising. Running the police force on these islands is not an easy job – look how many people have failed over the past few years. It looks to me as though Commissioner Baines is beginning to make a difference – this will be the year that will show if he is up to the job – no way you can judge a man on the first 18 months of walking into a disaster of a police service and trying to turn it around.
Hats off to the RCIPS if these stats are representative but what etimate number of crimes go unreported?
Whether you go from 150 to only 25 murders. It is still 25 dead people.
SPIN!
Instead of thugs killing each other and the like, now the street criminals have taken over.
These statistics are hardly a thing to celebrate. Seems to be the difference between a burglary and robbery is one is done when the homeowner isn’t home and doesn’t usually involve a criminal confronting a human being, and robbery is exact opposite, so this is not a good thing!
Whatever happened to the three bank robberies last year, as well asthe Margaritaville robbery? High quality CCTV at the banks and they can’t catch them or even RELEASE a picture? Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Why would they not release the picture after a year????
Pure spin Baines and you are fooling no one.
No one got a chance to ask Big Mac about crime….he threw his toys out of the pram and walked out of an interview last night. I know it was supposed to be explaining the North Sound channel will be well planned, but I had to comment on HOW (?) can this man tackle crime if he is sooo unprofessional that he cannot even talk to a small group of experts about a channel? Not a good job of convincing the people that he is fit to lead anymore.
(By the way, we have Gov Harbour, Yacht Club, Camana bay, etc…if a channel is done just deep enough and not too wide to connect to these other huge developments, it really would not be a problem…it is the OVER-SIZE and overwhelming GREED of the project we object to Mr. Mac)
Now, back to crime….keep up the pressure RCIP and the public will support you
By the way, the replay of Cayman 27 "Talk to the Experts" with Premier Bush is being replayed at 1PM today. (on TV now)
The stats may be down, but does that make us feel any safer???
Not when Mr Bush is ruffling his papers::))
I am sure all the naysayers will comment on the continued problems, but regardless…there HAS been progress made. Last year we were spiraling downwards in tit-for-tat gang shootings at an alarming rate. That poor four year old who got caught up in the madness really made you wonder how safe the island is. Has anyone noticed that has stopped now? It is down to the hard work of the RCIP and I thank all those men and woman who risk their lives to make it safer out there.
Now please tackle the robbers…I am sure it is just a hardcore of a dozen or so…
The murders and shootings are down because the culprits involved are either dead or behind bars for some unrelated matter. Wait till they ones behind bars are released.
The Police are getting justified criticism, they solved very few of those crimes or the robberies.
One has to wonder if the decrease in crime figures are simply because of so little confidence in the RCIP that victims simply don’t waste their time to report crime.
Further, I would hesitate to brag about overall crime being down by double digits when robberies are up by triple digits.
I suppose with so little accomplishments, that is the only thing they can brag about even if it is by coincidense and/or lack of reporting.
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
How can you say crime is down "Although robberies have increased by 215%"
You got that Right! “Right Down on top of us” You always know when things are really really bad when the government and law enforcement have to rely on advertising crime statistics to curry favor and seek praise by making announcement like these. Situations like these usually occur when u have a serious lack of confidence in the police and their effectiveness is in question. How can you fly like and Eagle Mr Baines when you work with a bunch of Turkeys.
The fact that crime isn’t being reported doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Just quoting reductions without backing them up with figures for arrests, convictions and recovery of stolen property suggests this is only half the picture.
The problem, as we have found in the UK over recent years, is that the police are completely unaware of a significant percentage of less serious offences because the victims are not bothering to come forward.
There are a number or reasons for this, possibly the most significant being the fact that people simply think it is a waste of time telling the police.
Before huffing and puffing about falling crime the CoP and his Gold Commanders need to look a bit more carefully at the overall picture. In particular the reductions need to be analysed geographically to see if this is an overall trend or relates to specific areas.
When that was done where I live it turned out the claimed reductions in less serious crime coincided with a drastic reduction in the opening hours of some local police stations, severely limiting public access to the police. It was also found that in several areas the local police were giving such low priority to telephone reports of minor crime that no one ever turned to investigate them and no formal record was ever made. Needless to say, the public response was to stop bothering to phone the police.
When these issues, and the lack of confidence in localpolicing they had generated, were addressed reported crime increased but the police were then actually able to detect trends and catch those responsible.
An area of criminal activity which is very troubling and often as not left unreported is domestic violence.
This crime leads to numerous other problems within the family and community at large.
The stats can never be accurate especially the crime, burglaries which are not reported. Do an audit of all the reported crimes which are not made publicthen come up with actual statistics.
What this report tells you that while Robberies have increased all other forms of crime must have stopped. It is either that or well these are stats right….
It has slowed down in Grand Cayman and getting worst in the Brac. Crime is crime. Just imagine ju ju using all that money to pave the properties of business places? Some of these owners are very wealthy and can well afford to take care of their places. What expensive votes!!!!!What a precedent that is now set.Remember that very first Politician that first started the hand outs? Now nobody can winan election unless these hand outs are given. It would not matter if it was the Politicians money but not to let Government pave yards when there are still homes in repairable conditions belonging to the poor oppositions who voted their good conscience.SHAME SHAME SHAME.