Police to meet with public over gun amnesty
(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will be talking directly with the public about gun crime over the next two weeks with a series of open community meetings. The public have been invited to take up the opportunity to hand in unwanted, unlicensed or illegal weapons over the next four weeks without fear of prosecution. The meetings are taking place against a backdrop of more than fifty robberies since the beginning of the year in the Cayman Islands, many involving firearms and the police hope to impress upon the community the need to bring in the guns and get as many firearms off the streets as possible. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
The latest and most shocking incident was the senseless shooting of 28 year old Kemar Golding who was shot in the face as he helped his friend take out garbage at the Red Bay jerk stand which was closing for the evening last Wednesday night. Golding has miraculously survived the shooting during the failed armed robbery but the assistant brewer who worked for Caybrew has lost his left eye.
This shooting was one of an escalating number where the armed suspects are firing weapons and Golding is one the first robbery victim to be shot in a botched robbery this year. Fears have been mounting in the community with each report that robbers have been firing their weapons that someone would eventually but hurt or killed.
The meetings where the public can discuss the amnesty as well as issues relating to gun crime with the police start (tonight) Tuesday evening at the Mary Miller Hall in George Town at 7:30pm. The cop’s gun amnesty road show then moves to West Bay on Wednesday night 6 July 7:30-8:30pm at the Sir John A Cumber PS hall before heading to Bodden Town on Thursday 7 July at the same time at the Webster Memorial Hall.
Next week the police will be in East End on Monday 11 July at 7:30pm at the East End Civic Centre and then they will be in North Side at the Cradock Ebanks Civic Centre on the evening of Tuesday 12 July. On Wednesday 13 July the officers head to Cayman Brac to the Layman Scott High School Hall and then on Thursday 14 July to Little Cayman where the meeting will also be at 7:30 at the Hurricane Shelter.
Category: Crime
The present policing model is just not working, hence the poor turnouts. Our people are under assault by armed criminals and the police response is to turn up after the incidents heavily armed. Excuse me, do they think the criminals are going to return? What nonsense. Time to get your heads out of the sand and realise that we have a war on here, and the only way for us to win it is to kill the enemy, and this will not be accomplished using the present policing model. In our present police we have the equivalent of someone like myself (middle aged, overweight and pretty indifferent to exercise) trying to train for the Olympics – it doesn't matter how hard I try it just isn't going to work. We need an army of armed police patrolling our Island 24/7, As the governor said – in so many words – there's no place to escape from it on a 22 by 8 place : no "bad" areas to avoid, no "good" areas to feel safe in. Oh, almost forgot, would it be beyond the stretches of imagination to envisage having armed response teams able to respond to, for example, bank robberies within 30 seconds. We know where the banks are, so what's the difficulty?
What a real joke only 5 persons a serious indictment on the RCIPS Says alot about the lack of confidence in the Police .People are tired of the same old tired people and the same old tired excuses.Wake up! Captain Baines the Cayman public speaks!
Actually, they gave no excuses. The turn out was (is) an indictment of someone but I don't think its of the people (police) who were there.
There was 8 persons at recent meeting 7 were police speaks volumes about the persons organising this gun amnesty i wish Baines would read this very clear message! NO credibility whatsoever
Hi Cops,
I'm going on holiday for a few weeks. So, I won't be robbing, stealing from banks, restaurants, tourist spots, etc. Oh, and I won't be shooting at innocent people either. So you can take a breather too.
Can I come by and drop off all of my guns, and you can just hold them for me 'til I get back on the island?
I mean, have you ever tried to go through customs with those things? Well, not coming in, I mean going out…and they weigh my suitcases down so much that it's a real pain for travel.
Thanks RCIPS. Gun babysitting, I mean 'erm "amnesty" is great. You guys are so cool and understanding. Don't worry, I won't shoot you guys, as long as I keep getting to rob at leisure when I get back.
I'll send pics!
Bon Voyage,
Robber
If this government were worth their salt, I mean includig the governor, the premier, the cabinet all the oppositon,UDP & PPM; they would give David Baines 6 months to bring in the Big Weapons Gun Dealer King Pin. If Baines can't deliver his carcase to the governor and cabinet., then FIRE DAVID BAINES
Let him find another job because he is incapable of keeping the country safe from violent crimes and gunmen. He is supposed to put undercover detectives and special operatives out there and everywhere to hunt down and orchestrate purchasing weapons to find out who is bringing them in. Baines you seem to be an amateur there is something called newspaper headlines reading:
"Undercover cops purchase guns from gun dealer. Several arrest made of high profile people in the community".
Also a sting operation need to be put in place to catch this criminal that is destroying our country. If he can't do this then we have no other recourse but to believe that the gun amnesty is all a stage show and that someone up there big shot I mean tied to government is responsible for importing these guns and we want them put away in Northward for Life.That person is a murderer
I could have brought in a whole gun shop worth of firearms on my last 6 trips. I haven't seen Airport customs touch a piece of luggage for at least a year. Just nod everyone through.
Could we all volunteer to have our properties searched? Please make mines the first! Metal detectors, dogs, bring all resources.. and can I have a smiley sticker on my house after? =)
According to the radio report this morning the police outnumbered the public at the meeting. Sounds like they are doing their part. Are we?
Yes police we are happy that you are trying to involve the public with talks about guns. Yet, I am left in awe when persons under 18 can get their hands on firearms. My questions to you:
1 – As people are not purchasing these weapons here in Cayman from legal gun dealers, where are they getting them from?
2 – Are investigations are being done to investigate the sources/locations of these gun suppliers?
3 – Are random checks being made on affiliates of arrested gun users?
4 – Are police officers going undercover to try to purchase weapons?
5 – What happened to the “police’s presence” when robberies were on a rise? Far as I can see, theft statics are rising and the “presence” has declined.
There are many more questions I would like to ask, but my main issue is the “supplying” of these weapons.
Getting the guns of the streets? Baines get a life please and get another job too! You need to get these guns off the high seas and out of the air that's where they're coming from! You're putting a bandaid on the problem instead of open surgery to root out the problem!
WE WANT TO KNOW WHO IS IMPORTING ALL THESE WEAPONS INTO OUR LITTLE COUNTRY.
If you can't say who is doing this then you have a lot of questions to answer. It means you're not trying and you don't care.
The guns on the streets is the result of legal or illegal importations.Give us the name of the Big Weapons Dealer?
Let's talk Baines.
You really think you will ever hear who the king pins are? Use common sense! The street level dealers and gangsters are just that! Street Level. They are incapable of importing large quantities or dope and gund just in the same way that a small business cannot operate a major supply chain to service and entire country and other feeder countries. So….someone big is involved in moving the guns and drugs…..hmmm lets think about that! Who has access to fast boats, counter surveillance, and cash? Certainly not little 16 yr old from down the road!
Then whoever knows name them on wikileaks…..