Headline News
Prison to get non-lethal guns
(CNS): Government appears to have plans to arm local prison officers, according to a release from a Canadian firm which makes non-lethal weapons. Lamperd Less Lethal Inc has announced that the Cayman Islands will be buying the firm’s full line of ‘launchers’ and the less lethal AR/15 50 cal. with which to arm its prison officers. CNS has contacted the prison and the Portfolio of Internal Affairs to ask for more details on the plans to arm officers with these weapons and is awaiting a response. It is not known at this stage how many weapons have been purchased, who will use them and when. However, Lamperd said it had been working with Cayman for two years and officers have trained at the firm’s facility in the past.
The weapons manufacturer said it was pleased that Cayman had chosen its product line rather than the stun gun technology, which it said is associated with numerous deaths worldwide, while Lamperd’s products have caused zero deaths. The firm, which is based in Ontario, said it has 40 years experience in manufacturing police and military products and its patented Wasp round is composed of a specialized composite that allows the ammunition to maintain its properties over a wide range of temperatures, from 58 to 212 degrees F. It also dissipates energy, inflicting what the firm said was an adequate but not lethal trauma to the target, the firm claims.
Less lethal or non-lethal weapons are arms which fire rubber or wax bullets that are less likely to kill a victim, though they can still inflict serious harm. The firm said the weaponry is designed to ensure the safety of military and civil defence personnel by disabling an opponent rather than killing. It is used by military and police forces around the world for crowd control and peacekeeping activities. It is particularly well suited for situations where there would be a likelihood of harm to bystanders if conventional weapons were employed, the firm states on its website.
Lamperd said it has developed a line of exceptionally high quality launcher systems, which have gained widespread industry attention for their accuracy, ease of use and flexibility, and which the CIG has reportedly bought.
Teen drunk-driver sent to jail for 15 months
(CNS): Eighteen-year-old Brooke Nowak has been sentenced to fifteen months in jail for causing death while driving under the influence of alcohol following a car smash on the Esterley Tibbetts highway earlier this year, when Fedaranne Faustino was killed. Nowak pleaded guilty to the offence and surrendered her bail in September, aware she was likely to receive a jail term. Justice Smith disqualified the teenager from driving for five years on Wednesday morning as he handed down the 15 month jail sentence. Noting the aggravating factor that Nowak’s blood alcohol level was 1.8 when the legal limited is 1.0, the judge also noted mitigating factors including the remorse shown by the defendant and that she did not intend to kill anyone. (Photo Dennie WarrenJr)
Fedaranne Faustino, who was 24-years old at the time of her death, was a passenger in the Honda Civic with which Nowak collided when she swerved into the opposite lane in her Toyota Land Cruiser in the early hours of the morning of 3August. The court heard there was no evidence that Nowak was driving dangerously or badly before the accident took place but that the crash was a result of her being under the influence of alcohol and driving her car into the path of the oncoming car.
The judge said that a custodial sentence was appropriate in the circumstances, not just to reflect the tragic death but to deter others from drinking and driving. However, Justice Smith discounted what would have been a three year sentence for the defendant’s early plea, her genuine sorrow and remorse and the fact that she was of good character with no previous convictions.
“Although there was a tragic loss of live we must not lose sight that the defendant did not intend to harm anyone,” the judge told the court. He noted the numerous character witnesses supplied to the court from the community on Nowak’s behalf, all of which indicated that the conduct surrounding this incident was uncharacteristic of the defendant and he did not believe she would be likely to offend again.
The judge said that Nowak’s time served since September will also count. The crown confirmed that it would not be appealing the sentence.
Three men shot in East End
(CNS): Tuesday night’s Pirate’s Week Festival celebrations were marred by a violent multiple shooting in East End during the early hours of this morning. Police have confirmed that three people have been injured in the shooting, which took place around 1:40am Wednesday near the district MLA’s office on Sea View Road, not far from the site where the street party had taken place the previous evening. Three men and one woman who were inside a vehicle parked across the road from the Texaco station were fired on as they were about to drive off from the area by a man running towards the car. The three men sustained various injuries but the woman escaped without being struck by the bullets, a police spokesperson said. (Photos by Dennie Warren Jr)
The lone gunman reportedly then ran from the scene and was last seen heading into a large crowd which had gathered at the location. Uniformed and armed officers who were patrolling in the area arrived on the scene immediately. A cordon was put in place and first aid was administered to the injured men. The three men were taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where they are currently being treated. Their injuries are not thought to be lifethreatening.
No arrests have been made as yet and police are appealing for anyone who was in the area at
the relevant time, and has not yet been interviewed by police, to come forward. Information can be passed to Bodden Town CID on 947-2220 or Crime Stoppers 800-8477 (TIPS).
Man electrocuted in West Bay
(CNS): Police have now confirmed reports received by CNS this morning that an electrician was killed last night in West Bay as he attempted to hook up to the electricity supply. The man is believed to have been contracted to a local electrical company and was working on connecting the power on a property in the West Bay Heritage complex near the Ed Bush playing field on Tuesday around 9:30 pm when he was electrocuted. The police said the emergency services found the 33 year old man lying within a building at the site where he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police enquiries into the incident are ongoing, however at this stage an RCIPS spokesperson said that there would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.(Photos by Dennie Warren Jr)
The location where the man was killed is where the Pirates Week West Bay Heritage Day celebrations are planned for today and it is believed the electrician was attempting to hook up power for the event.
Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (CUC) said this morning that it was aware of the tragic loss of life that resulted from the electrocution at the Ed Bush Playing Field in West Bay last night but preliminary information available indicated that neither CUC’s equipment nor its electrical system was involved. "CUC wishes to offer condolences to the family of the victim at this difficult time," the local power firm said.
Review queries cover for poor
(CNS): The health cover given to the country’s poorest people as well as veterans and pensioners needs to be urgently addressed, the civil service review team has said. In its first report on government agencies the team, which is examining ways to cut the current public expenditure levels, said that as indigent health care represents the highest cost per insured in the CINICO client groups, the national insurance company has to change the system. The team also revealed that there was no accountability in the decisions over who is designated as indigent. The review identified more than $7 million in savings at CINICO, which alone consumes ten percent of the country’s operating budget.
CINICO has already suggested that indigents, SHIC plan holders and veterans should be placed in a “Medicare” type plan with restricted overseas care arrangements to reduce the $51m government spends on providing health care each year to more than 13,000 people. The team said they supported the recommendations made by the general manager for restricted care arrangements, particularly with respect to overseas care to UWI Mona (Tony Thwaites) private wing and two other US facilities only.
“While it sits outside the remit of this review, policies impacting the cost of health care for indigents need to be urgently addressed,” the review team said in its report. “The current arrangement whereby the DCFS determines eligibility for ‘indigent status’ and costs for care are borne by the Ministry of Health provides no accountability for decisions.”
Although the review tram said analyses reveals that CINICO operates efficiently from an expense to premium ratio as well as from a benefits paid to premium ratio, the team said the
“status quo” in terms of health care coverage for civil servants and other customers is not sustainable.
“The team understands that legal considerations may prevent changes to benefits with respect to existing civil servants but recommends that policy-level decisions be taken and implemented as soon as possible with respect to the specifics of health care coverage for future civil servants and pensioners,” the report states.
The review also notes that careful consideration will need to be given to co-insurance, co-payment, deductibles dependants’ benefits and coverage of over-the-counter medications to influence user behaviour and better manage costs. “The team recommends that choice in health care provider is considered if client groups are assessed some form of payment,” the report revealed.
During its examination of potential cuts in CINICO costs the review team said that one of the critical issues facing CINICO was the lack of a clear strategic plan. The team noted the conflict of interest with respect to private sector members of the board, as well as the degree of political influence over operational management decisions which have been raised as potential concerns, and said alternative governance models for health insurance provision for CINICO clients should be investigated. It suggested the creation of a National Health Care Council comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, HSA, DCFS, PSPB, PoCS, Seafarers and Veterans Associations and relevant legal and financial representation, which could replace the board and bring a more strategic focus.
The review team also said CINICO could take on the role currently fulfilled by third party administrators if it was properly resourced with skilled, trained personnel and the right IT systems.
CAL fined $50k by US
(CNS): Following Cayman Airways Limited’s failure to submit an annual report regarding disability access, on time, the airline has been fined by the US authorities and ordered to cease and desist from failing to meet the reporting requirement. According to public records at the US Department of Transportation, the $50,000 fine concerns violations by CAL of the requirements to file annual reports detailing disability-related complaints that the carrier received from passengers in 2009 following previous warnings over the same issue when it failed to file reports in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Although CAL said it did not receive any disability related complains last year, the authorities said the airline is still obligated to submit a report.
Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) all airlines flying into US cities must comply with this requirement and file a report before the end of January regarding disability complaints made by passengers in the previous year. The public order against the Cayman Islands national flag carrier reveals that the airline did not submit a report until April 2010, despite repeated inquiries from the Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
“Cayman Airways violated section 382.157 and the ACAA when it did not submit reports in a timely manner that detailed the disability-related complaints that it received in calendar years 2009 regarding flights originating or terminating in the United States,” the order states. “We view seriously Cayman Airways’ continued failure to submit the reports on time as required by section 382.157. Accordingly, after carefully considering all the facts in this case … the Enforcement Office believes that enforcement action is warranted.”
The order revealed that to avoid litigation Cayman Airways had agreed to settle these matters with the Enforcement Office and enter into this consent order directing Cayman Airways to cease and desist from future similar violations of Part 382 and 49 U.S.C. § 41705, and assessing $50,000 in compromise of potential civil penalties otherwise due and payable.
The order stated that the fine was appropriate and served the public interest. “It represents an adequate deterrence to future noncompliance with the Department’s reporting requirements by Cayman Airways, as well as by other domestic and foreign air carriers,” it reads.
PPM recruitment drive steps up as leader steps down
(CNS): As people offered tributes to Kurt Tibbetts last week when he revealed his intentions to step down from the helm of the People’s Progressive Movement, the party was on the lookout for new recruits. Several people signed up at a special national meeting on Thursday evening as it was pointed out that in order to vote for the PPM’s new leader people needed to be fully signed up members of the party. During the coming weeks the various district branches will be nominating candidates for the leadership, the deputy leadership and the roll of general secretary. Once names are put forward, every PPM member will be allowed to join the ballot and decide who will become leader of the opposition. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
Anyone who joins the party before its national conference next year, when the vote for the new leader and the other posts will be held, can take part in the vote. The party’s constitution provides for a democratic process whereby the entire membership gets to decide who will lead them.
The leader has to be a member of the Legislative Assembly, which means that if all four of the current serving members are nominated by their district branches then they will be able to run for the leadership post, but the final decision will be in the hands of the wider PPM membership, which currently ranks over 1150 members.
A recently posted poll on CNS currently shows Moses Kirkconnell, the PPM’s representative for the Sister Islands, as the favourite candidate to take up the leadership with forty percent on the votes, trailed closely by Alden McLaughlin with 35 percent of the vote. No decisions have yet been made, however, which of the four MLAs will eventually stand for the leadership post.
Tibbetts, who has served in the Legislative Assembly as a representative from George Town since 1992, took up the PPM top job when the movement was created in the wake of the 2001 leadership coup. After Tibbetts was ousted as the leader of government business in the coalition with McKeeva Bush, which had defeated the National Team in the 2000 election, the two men went on the form and lead new political parties.
During a press conference last Wednesday Tibbetts announced that he would be stepping down from the leadership in the New Year and was making his announcement in compliance with the party’s constitution to give 60 days notice so that the election process for a new leader would get underway. He said, however, he would not be leaving the political scene and would remain the PPM member for George Town.
The opposition leader also revealed that, in the wake of the PPM’s defeat at the national polls in May of last year, he had made the decision that, as leader, he had to take responsibility for that and step aside to let new blood take the party forward to the next election.
Following his official announcement to the press on Thursday evening, the PPM membership packed into the Seafarers Hall in Prospect and paid tribute to the leader, applauding him for changing the way the business of government is conducted in the Cayman Islands. He was acclaimed for the modernisation of the constitution, the implementation of the freedom of information law and the development of the new government building, which will be opened in January.
Anthony Duckworth, the PPM party chairman, said that the creation of the PPM was not just about getting Kurt Tibbetts re-instated as government leader but it was about creating better government. He pointed to the changes made by the PPM administration under Tibbetts’ leadership that had given more power to the people and changed governance for the better as he rejected the path of self interest which has historically been a feature of the country’s government system.
“The way that the PPM acted when in government has led to higher expectations of government in general,” Duckworth noted, adding that in order to stop bad governance the people had to continue to speak out.
Many people openly declared their love and admiration for a man who is considered to be a rarity in any jurisdiction – a truly honest politician.
Cops opinion survey goes live
(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has launched a public opinion survey that asks the community to rate its satisfaction levels with the service. A full and comprehensive version of the anonymous survey is available on line or paper versions can be collected at local supermarkets or from any police station. Senior members of the RCIPS launched the survey at Fosters Airport supermarket on Friday morning when Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis said the police wanted as many people as possible to fill in the forms and tell the RCIPS what they think of their performance. Shoppers appeared keen to stop and fill in the form which police have said will be used to shape future policies.
Ennis said it was very important for the RCIPS to measure public opinion. “Your views matter to us,” Ennis told the public at the launch of the project. He said the RCIPS wanted to ensure that the community gets the best possible customer service. “The survey will not only help us establish the needs and expectations of the people we serve, it will also allow us to identify areas where we are doing well and those where improvements need to be made.”
Chief Inspector Angelique Howell stated that the survey was the most comprehensive that had ever been conducted and that the results, which would be made public, would shape the way police do things in future and establish Key Performance Indicators. Although the police do receive feedback at meetings and have some idea of the level of public opinion from other forum Howell said that they were not second guessing what this survey would reveal.
“We are keeping an open mid and are prepared for anything the community will tell us,” she said. “We will be working with what ever comes to light and we are not working from a point of any particular expectations of what the results will be.”
She explained however, that the questions were designed by the RCIPS to help them find out specific things about what the public think of what they do and they do it. Howell said the paper questionnaire had fifteen general questions about the service and it also left room for people to make further notes and comments. The on-line survey offers people the opportunity to answer questions on specific branches and departments within the service that they may have had dealings with such as CID or the family support unit.
Questions include asking the public how satisfied they are with the efforts made by the RCIPS to tackle crime, their satisfaction over the security of information given to the police, how polite and friendly officers are, how happy the public is with the speed with which the police respond and how knowledgeable officers are about the law.
Deloitte’s have offered their services free of charge to collate the survey results and the police are hoping thousands of people will take part to give them a true picture of public opinion. The anonymous survey is open for three weeks until 3 December. Police will continue to promote the survey and will be making appearances over the next few weeks at various locations including supermarkets, banks, schools, and condo complexes.
The police will visit the sister Islands on Wednesday 24 November when they will be at Billie’s Supermarket on Cayman Brac and at Kirkconnell’s Market Place then on Little Cayman on Thursday 25 November at the Village Square.
Immigration playing by book
(CNS): The immigration department will no longer accept applications for work permits and other paperwork related to issues of immigration unless they are properly completed and have all the necessary documents with them. Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans has stated that one of the biggest hold ups for her department, and the various boards, is dealing with incomplete or incorrectly submitted information. She explained that the system at present does nothing to encourage people to make an effort to supply all the information that the department requires. From now on however, when people come to submit applications staff will refuse to take them if the forms are incomplete or documents are missing.
Evans explained that because workers can remain on island while applications are being processed employers have been able to submit applications to the department which maybe only partially complete but once the forms are accepted into the system no matter how long it takes the employees can remain on the job.
“The way the system currently works is counterproductive,” Evans told CNS, adding that it almost encourages people not to do it right because no matter how poor the quality of the information submitted if an application has been accepted then the worker gets to stay. It is then the immigration department that has to chase the employer for more information.
“More than 40% of the applications we receive do not have enough information on them for boards to make an informed decision so we are going to stop the incomplete applications at the counter,” she added.
The immigration boss said that by taking the poorly submitted applications out of the system this will speed things up for those people who are doing things correctly as at present the incomplete forms are holding the system up for everyone. She warned that there will be a check made at the desk when someone submits an application and if the correct documents are not supplied or if there are gaps on the forms the applicant will be sent away.
Following a recent series of public meetings Evans said one of the main concerns raised was over the vetting of people coming into the country. The CIO said people are anxious for the finger printing system to be introduced and she said that there seems to be relatively wide support for taking prints from all visitors and not just permit holders. Once the new security system is in place the department’s goal, in the first instance, is to document finger prints from work permit holders, permanent residents and those on student visas.
Evans pointed out that protecting the country’s borders was still the priority of the department and the enforcement team had been doing really well in clamping down on those breaking immigration laws despite the many challenges. Well over sixty people have been arrested since the end of the amnesty which took place in July and the department has established a hotline 1 800 534 2546 and an email contact legalism@gov.ky where the public can make anonymous reports about immigration violations.
The CIO explained that enforcement officers do go out in the field and make visits to ensure that workers on large construction sites, for example, are all legal, but it is information from the community that leads to most of the arrests. With unemployment high at the moment officers are also still keeping an eye on the known spots where workers without permits or those with not enough work from their permit holders are known to congregate looking for causal work but she pointed out that this is difficult to police. However, she noted that is was important for the department to keep a close watch on those who may be under employed as Cayman is an expensive jurisdiction and they could easily fall into crime if they are not earning a full wage to sustain them here.
With immigration reform a key element in government policy Evans is facing a difficult balancing act. She pointed out that while the business community need immigration issues to move swiftly and smoothly to facilitate economic growth, her team was still tasked with enforcing the laws and she had to find ways of balancing the needs of the business community with the need to protect the borders.
Following the premier’s call to allow those visiting Cayman with an eye to investing here a smooth passage through immigration and to stop questioning them and taking their lap tops, Evans said the department was working on creating a five day business visa. She said this would enable those coming for high level meetings or business to do so via a letter of invitation from a Cayman based firm and they will then be able to purchase the visa for themselves and any staff they are travelling with on arrival.
Another one of the department’s challenges which was revealed during the recent public meetings was the bad debt on permanent residency fees. Evans pointed out that one of the major reasons for this is that the law does not require people who have received PR to inform immigration if they change address or if they change employers. Evans said the law only requires the PR holders to notify immigration if they change the type of job they do, if the remain in the same profession they can change their job as often as they please.
However, much of the publicised $1.7million has been collected since the March audit but some will never be collected as the people in question have left the jurisdiction. Evans said that around $700,000 is still outstanding. But again she said from now on immigration would be playing by the book and anyone who owed money on PR fees would not be ale to take the next step towards status if fees were not paid.
Police arrest hit & run driver
(CNS): Updated Monday 10:30am – Police have arrested a 28 year old man in connection with a hit and run in which 52-year-old Winston Welsh was killed in George Town, late Friday night. The suspected driver was arrested in George Town early Sunday morning, a police spokesperson said, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The car suspected of being involved in the incident has also been recovered by the RCIPS and is undergoing forensic examination and the man remains in custody while enquiries continue, the police said. The 52 year old victim was mowed down by an on coming car as he attempted to cross Crewe Road near to the Mango Tree Restaurant after parking his own van on the airport side of the road. (Photo Dennie WarrenJr)
The victim received serious head injuries in the incident and was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital, George Town, where he later died.
The car failed to stop after hitting the victim but witnesses on the scene immediately following the incident said that they saw a small white car making off towards the roundabout, heading in the direction of the airport. Officers involved in the hunt for the hit and run driver appealed to the public for help to find the car and offered their thanks to those who had assisted following the arrest.
If anyone has any information about the incident and has not yet contacted the police, they are being asked to call Inspector Adrian Barnett at the RCIPS Traffic Department on 946-6254 or Crime Stoppers 800 –8477 (TIPS).