Cayman Islands remains a safe place to live, say police

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Despite recent reports of break-ins, the Royal Cayman Islands Police (RCIP) is assuring the public that the Cayman Islands is still one of the safest places to live in the world. 

According to the RCIP, the chances of a home being broken into are lower in the Cayman Islands than in most other comparable areas in the world. 

And the RCIP are also among the top performing police services in catching the people who commit these crimes.

Detective John Le Cuirot of the Crime Reduction Unit said: "Most burglaries are committed on the spur-of-the-moment by an opportunist thief when an easy target presents itself, an open door or window, with just the insect screen to cut through or remove to gain entry. By checking that your doors and windows are locked when you go to bed, or go out, you will greatly reduce the risk of a burglary.

The RCIP report that more than 80 percent of domestic burglaries on the Island are considered 'walk-ins', where the property was insecure. They are reminding the public that the harder it is for a burglar to get into a home, the more likely it is that they will leave clues behind, so that police can catch them and recover property.

According to the police, most reported crime is property-related crime rather than crimes of violence. They say thieves will try to pass on stolen property by various means, this can be via a handler of stolen property, or direct to those tempted to buy something cheap.

Police also say that everyone, in some way, pays for the cost of crime. As an example, the United Kingdom Association of British Insurers estimated the average cost of crime per household in the UK to be at CI$45 per week, with a national bill of CI$42 billion.

Anyone with information in connection with a crime is asked to contact Crime stoppers, anonymously, at 800 TIPS (8477).

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