UDP ignoring crime, says opposition leader
(CNS): The opposition leader implored government to "do something about crime" during his no confidence motion on Wednesday in the Legislative Assembly, after telling members that they weren't eunuchs. Despite their claims that crime was not their responsibility, the new constitution gives them more power to influence policy than any elected officials have ever had, Alden McLaughlin pointed out. He also reminded the UDP government that during the election campaign the party had told the electorate that the PPM was failing on crime and if they were elected they would address the issue, but since then crime had reached unprecedented levels.
“Not a day goes by without headlines screaming out about the latest robbery,” McLaughlin said, adding that while crime was the leading concern of the entire community, the government continues to ignore the problem. He said the UDP administration had completely failed to do anything at all about the frighteningly high levels of crime. He said he could not remember when the premier had last said anything about what his government intended to do about what everybody believed was the most important issue affecting the country.
While the premier was “running around breaking ground and making promises about grandiose projects that would never happen,” crime was undermining the entire well-being of the country, the opposition leader said. Day after day the business community cried out for something to be done, he added, but as tourists were being robbed, George Town turned into a ghost town and people were afraid to leave there homes in the evening, the premier and his colleagues were silent about the problem.
“There are all sorts of deals and all sorts of promises made but what is the government doing about the crime wave that is washing over us?” the PPM leader demanded to know as the government benches heckled about the PPM leader about giving the power to the governor in the constitution which his government had negotiated.
Pointing to the change in the 2009 constitution, McLaughlin emphasised that the elected arm of government did have more power now and it “must do what it was elected to do and take ownership of the problem,” he said.
He pointed out that the premier and two government ministers as well as the opposition leader now sat on the National Security Council (NSC) giving the elected members far more influence than ever before, but he said the premier was not using that influence.
McLaughlin accused the government of taking the position that crime was the governor's problem and therefore they didn’t have to do anything about it, but that was no longer the case, he stressed. He called on the government members to show the people why they should have confidence in them and their stewardship of the country. He said that when they answered his motion, he hoped they would offer the people something more than excuses and say what the government's policy was to deal with rising crime.
“The people have entrusted them with the affairs of the country and that includes the issue of crime,” he said, but government had not taken their responsibility seriously, he claimed as he accused them of being insensitive about the issue.
The first of the government members to answer the opposition leader's motion was Juliana O'Connor Connolly, the deputy premier, who spoke to the issues McLaughlin raised about crime.
She denied that the government had the power that McLaughlin had implied and said “Cabinet has absolutely no responsibility” when it came to the police. She accused the opposition leader of being an “authority of nonsense” as everyone cared about crime and he was misleading the people when he said the government could influence the police.
She said if the opposition leader was so concerned about crime he should present his solutions to the governor or the police commissioner instead of trying to gain votes by wasting everyone’s time with the no confidence motion. “He should not use crime as a political football, or any other type of football,” she said.
Category: Crime
You mean the National Day of Prayer did not work?
The current police force Sounds like many places I worked in my lifetime. Perfectly good companies, mostly Mom & Pop shops that made good profits. Not absolutley perfect by any stretch or 100% percent efficient. Then the people who built the companies get older and want out. The suits comes along with someone elses cash, buys it for a group of investors and puts a bunch of his "experts" from outside in key posistions who manage to piss everyone off. The former key people who were the glue leave and it all falls apart. What managed to produce and provides profits against all odds for all those years is now worthless. The little guys on the factory floor always survive and move on but the big guys take a hard fall when the questions need to be answered.
I am really fed up with this. All the PPM and UDP are doing now is getting ready for the elections, let the politics begin.. Bunch of Donkeys…! Both parties are to blame as far as I’m concerned.
All these guys can do is blame each other, none of them have really come up with a solution to this problem.. IM NOW VOYING PURE IDEPENDANT……
These crimes are getting out of hand, we need to hear from the Governor, Ass. Governor and those beneath them. None of them have said a >>>> word regarding this.
If you want to Blame anyone, Blame the Senior Civil servants, Baines and the GOV… they got rid of really good officers, Mr. Haines, Brady and others (just to name a few). These guys know the island and love this island, they are not leaving.
20:00
Two senior Caymanians and several other officers just left RCIP for the same reason.
However; fear not they will be replaced with some more from the UK. There are now only about 60 ethnic caymanians left in the force of about 350!
There is no such thing as an “ethnic Caymanian”.
You have to wake the up first to tell them there is a crime problem.
My, my. This article really got some folks stirred up! And it should! It appears to me that a lot of pots are calling a lot of kettles black. Even one of our leaders was quoted as describing what the opposition could and could not do, but she failed to even mention her recommendation for reducing our runaway crime. That's the trouble with the two-party system….. They'd rather fight each other than move forward. Too bad….
Alden,
Get some potential proposals/policies together, otherwise your crtisisms are just political rhetoric. Start putting together your manifesto NOW, and deliver snippets on the main issues of whet our appetites. Show us substance AND due process (= good governance) and I'm sure you'll be well supported at the next election.
UDP isn't ignoring just the crime problem. They are ignoring pretty much everything!
What Crime. There are no Gangs
Crime has been ignored since the 90's. Everyone was in denial, remember ""THERE IS NO CRIME IN CAYMAN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY GANGS". If it was addressed then, we wouldn't be in this predicement. Remember our great leader "the people of cayman are peaceful people"…lmao lmao, not all the crimes happening are committed by foreigners, I am sure there are a few Caymanians!!!!!!!!
actually I dont know if that is totally correct. While all departments of Government are being cut the police are continuing to grow.
The problem though is not the quantity but the quality.
Have you seen the 2010 movie 'Harry Brown' with Michael Caine? THAT is where Cayman is heading unless something drastic is done now. It is basically anarchy, people committing crimes out of boredom and police unwilling and unable to do anything about it. Cayman, what about the human rights of the victims who will have to live here in fear? Stop hiding behind the criminals human rights and relax laws a little so that good cops can do their job without worrying.
SOLUTIONS: Radar balloon in Cayman tethered at 10,000 feet, paid for by the US Government, against the now major Cayman/ US drug transshipment. Docks with speedboats we already have set up (actually used) to intercept and search any boat appearing from off radar. Water traffic control people in place to monitor it all. The US is happy no drugs transshipped; we're happy no guns or drugs here. Training and funds all provided by US Gov. Ask them, you never know. The US probably would spend the money.
Next, to x-ray/search shipping containers, Every bag and box that comes through Customs in Cayman in search of guns and ammunition. There are x-ray machines that can scan whole 40 ft. containers and have been available for years. Talk the top 100 businesses here in Cayman to put together to pay for it. It's in all of our and their interest.
Lastly, if all else fails, $5,000 per year for concealed weapons permits to those who most qualify. "Castle Law" put into place. We have to have the attitude that we will do whatever it takes to rid Cayman of crime, because criminals are beating us now out of boredom mostly; (there is no one starving here in Cayman) so could you imagine if the criminals were really trying…
What did the PPM really do? Set up a Marine base on property connected and for the benefit of one of their major political advisors and supporters can anyone tell us why the gov't still do not currently own the property. Handing out security contracts to party favourites and good old boys, throwing millions of dollars to the RCIPS creating this current era of reward/Blame/excuse strategy by those in command. my final questioning are we any safer for all this money they have spent over 140 million in total for 4 years. Are we Mr Mclaughlin? You guys are nothing more than political alarmist and scoundrels who need to be put out politics for playing games with lives of people who live on this island.
Time to face up to the facts and look beyone the endless talk talk talk blame blame blame. None of the current crop of leadership has what it takes to lead a modern country. Maybe a third world country but is that what Cayman wants? (Honest question) Is it?
If not Caymanians will have to do what ever it takes to remove what they have, find some real leaders, and put them in place.
Or do nothing and let the UK take over after your reputation, your credability, your ability to make a living in your own country, and your safety from crime is all gone. Its not comeing, its allready here. Can you see it? Right around the next courner.
So exactly what are the PPMs crime-prevention policies? If they're good I'd vote for you, but I am not going to vote for you just because you understand the problem better than McKeeva. Nearly everyone in Cayman understands the crime problem better than McKeeva because he spends all his time in foreign hotel rooms or behind a big security fence!
I don't know why people are trying to turn the crime issue on Alden. He is speaking out about it the UDP is not. If crime is not brought under control tourist disapear along with business and we become a waste land. UDP has done nothing just like they have done in West Bay is that what YOU want? Someone in government has to say something about Public Safety Alden is Bush is in the Tall Grass. Get real please.
So what exactly do you suggest that they should be doing, Alden?
What is your big idea Bueller?
Mac knocks back everything the opposition says IF he ever lets them speak in the first place.
Why are you asking Alden? Mackeeva is the man in charge. Alden is asking the man in charge to do something about a massive problem the country has which Mackeeva seems to be ignoring. That sounds pretty reasonable. Why would anyone have an issue with this?
Being the opposition doesn't mean that one's thought process should be put to sleep. The only thought process this opposition has is to criticize – they haven't put forward evne ONE suggested solution to anything! (Glad Ezzard got his minimum wage tho – it's not a solution but it is a step forward – don't think $5 will cut it tho').
If the man in charge does not have any answers, he should not be the man in charge.
You should realise if your answer to Aldens question is "then why dont you tell us what to do Alden?", then you are asking to put Alden in charge. If in the future the country faces issues and Alden is in charge, it would be Mackeevas job to say "Alden, why are you not fixing these problems?". And Im sure he would say it. Thats the job of the opposition. The governments job is to fix the problems. Or at least try.
With power comes responsibility.
Its so ridiculous for PPM to be coming out now and claiming all that is going on now is UDP's fault. Its both of their sides that is guilty! Does anyone believe that PPM could have stopped the crime? If so, think back–WHAT DID THEY DO TO PREVENT IT or stem it when it first started? Nada.
The party system here is killing us. They all claim to 'love Cayman' more than the next political party but instead of working together- they both have turned into snippy whiny middle school girls! And that doesnt help anyone.
If I had a wish for my country, it would be that the next generation of modern thinkers starts to step up. Of course, that would mean that the voters in Cayman would have to wisen up & hear what they themselves keep saying–we need fresh brains in government (so vote them in) we need fresh thinkers & do-ers in the civil service (then open the doors & let these scholarship gradautes come back and do what they can to help) we need less crime (so then start calling crimestoppers, complain every day to the police loudly about problem areas that are breeding criminals.
We really need to realise that we have to help ourselves first! Together, we can effect change but it cant be blogging our way to change–that is just not going to work.
Hear Hear!! Amen. This "He said – She said" will ruin us!
Wake up Cayman!!! This two-party system will kills us and eat our bones. Just look at your Caribbean Cousins. Have "Party" systems made them wealthy countries? No.
The two-party (or three, don't tell me that is an answer) will not work. It only causes division, and when divided we are dead.
Please oh please do not elect even one BUM that has served for the past decade…..they are all horrible, lazy, greedy, and have driven us into a mess.
I beg and plead for some successful businessmen that havenever stood for office before to come forward and give us four years to sort out this mees. Do NOT align yourself with any "Party" or manifesto.
Where are our business leaders and great minds? Come together for four years and fix the damage that has been done by these crooked crazy ineffective party politicians.
I know one thing if Cayman make Alden Mclaughlin Leader of Government Business every body gone to hell. But Cayman people need to reslize that this whole shimarang is about Dart aaaaand Mackeva. Why dont the Oppositon come up with a plan if they have one, all they can do is object to every Darn thing. When they was the one who put Cayman in this mess. We are not voting for amny PPM government, they had their chance, and they all need to go.
You completely miss the point – typical UDP supporter, can't read, understand and think for yourself. The point is, as Leader and Ruling Government, take the lead and assist the Governor and the Police with crime-preventing strategies. The silence on the part of UDP on crime, is deafening ! This current government has much more power than any previous government. They have a lot to say about every other topic under the sun, act as if they know it all, override other government personnel when they want to have their way, so why the silence and stand-back attitude on crime? Don't they live on this island too, or is it that they feel safe with all their bodyguards around them. Wait till one of their relatives get robbed, then you will hear the cacaphony and indignation sputtering from them. The rest of us don't matter to them one bit. The residents and tourists alike being robbed willy-nilly, while these bumbling politicians focus on grandiose schemes. They don't realize that if crime goes unchecked, there will be no foreigner living here to support those grandiose developments. Comprehende?
I'm afraid you missed the target completely, bonehead. Actually right now we're desperately trying to claw our way back OUT of hell, thanks to your beloved Mackeva. Have you seen your CUC bill recently or do you live under a rock?
Please grow up and keep the name calling to your schoolyard.