Government officials hold press conference to announce crime crackdown

(l-r) Attorney General Sam Bulgin, HE The Governor
Bruce Dinwiddy, and Acting Chief Secretary Donovan
Ebanks at Tuesday’s press conference addressing
violent crimes in the Cayman Islands

RCIP Commissioner Buel Braggs

by Brian Buckley

Thursday, September 2, 2004

Vowing to make fighting crime a priority issue, several elements of the Cayman Islands Government addressed the media on Tuesday as a result of the recent spate of violent crimes.

Speaking at the Royal Cayman Islands Police Services (RCIP) press conference were HE the Governor Bruce Dinwiddy, Attorney General Sam Bulgin, and RCIP Commissioner of Police Buel Braggs.

In brief introductory remarks, Mr Dinwiddy stressed the need to inform the public of “actions that the government has already taken and of some further action that is at hand to bring criminals to justice and to prevent such crimes in the future.” Mr Buglin then outlined a number of steps the government has taken and is now taking as it “continues to see the issue of crime as a very serious and priority issue.”

The Attorney General reported that in March of 2004 the Evidence Law was amended to allow testimony given by a witness to police to be used at the trial, regardless of whether a witness is injured or killed in the time between testimony to police and the trial. This option will also be available for witnesses who have left the Island and a new provision in this new law allows for a witness to testify via video link form abroad.

Of these measures concerning witnesses, Mr Bulgin said: “These measures are designed to, amongst other things, remove any incentive for wanting to kill, or injure, a witness, before the trial takes place, or to frighten the witness away from the Islands in order to prevent them from testifying.”

Mr Bulgin mentioned that these measures are critical for in recent times witnesses for upcoming trials have been targeted, as in the case of Franklin Lake who was shot and killed, and in the case last week where a witness was shot and injured. “The government is under an obligation to provide the necessary guarantee to those willing to come forward as witnesses or informers,” Mr Bulgin said.

Mr Bulgin also spoke of government interest in a Witness Protection Programme. He described the recent promulgation of the amended Penal Code which provides a ‘Two strikes and you are out’ provision which allows for the Grand Court to sentence a repeat violator of a category ‘A’ offence to be sentenced to life imprisonment, and the recent Cabinet initiative providing for funds to establish a DNA lab at the George Town Hospital.

Commissioner Braggs followed by quickly asserting “that most of the violent crime we are now seeing results from international drug trafficking.”

“In order to combat drug trafficking,” Mr Braggs said, “we are strengthening our cooperation with the United States and other neighboring countries, on ways by which we can intensify our air and sea surveillance.”

Mr Braggs stated that the government is also considering a proposal involving radar, interceptor boats, and surveillance aircraft. “Though we face major challenges in this area, they are not insurmountable. We are committed to using all resources at our disposal to battle and overcome these threats,” he said.

In regard to recent events Mr Braggs said that investigations into the recent violent incidents have all resulted in arrests and charges. He noted that five persons have already been arrested in relation last week’s fatal shooting of a man in West Bay.

He further pointed out that the bulk of drugs intended for transshipment do not remain here in the Cayman Islands, but that unfortunately local people have not escaped involvement in these criminal operations.

In the remainder of his remarks, Mr Braggs stressed the work of the Joint Intelligence Unit, Crime Squad Surveillance Units, Crime Squad Prevention Unit, and the Community Involvement in Crime Prevention.

Mr Braggs also urged businesses and property owners to protect their premises as best they could as most reported crime is property related.

His comments concluded noting that the RCIP has undergone a shift in which all reports of domestic violence are treated as seriously as those for other crimes.

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