New Detective Chief Inspector takes up challenge of Cayman’s CID

Peter Kennett,
Consultant and Detective
Chief Inspector, CID

Thursday,  August 4, 2005

The criminal investigation unit in the Cayman Islands has been strengthened with one of the United Kingdom’s top investigative chiefs, Peter Kennett.

However, even though Mr Kennett comes with exceptional references in the area of criminal investigation, his role, under his current assignment with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, (RCIPS), will not involve investigating criminal cases.

Detective Chief Inspector Kennett took up his new post as a consultant in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 1 August.

DCI Kennett is said to be here to strengthening the top-tier of the RICPS that is leading the war against crime and Mr Kennett’s role is to develop the local CID.

“I will have few other responsibilities apart from the development of the CID, and so (I) can devote all my time to that goal,” said Mr Kennett, in his first official appearance on Tuesday 2 August.

Mr Kennett was part of a three-man RCIPS team that included Acting Commissioner Rudolph Dixon and Acting Deputy Commissioner, Derek Haines, at the first in a series of monthly Media Briefings from the RCIPS.
Prior to leaving the UK Police Service Mr Kennett was in charge of the Major Crime Branch of Sussex Police, which dealt with all murders in that county.

“My last investigation was as the senior investigating officer into the kidnap and murder of (8-year-old) Sarah Payne, which at the time was an extremely high-profile case,” Mr Kennett said. Mr Kennett retired after the conviction of the killer in that case.

However, Mr Kennett continued to work with the Metropolitan Police in London, assisting in their Senior Detective Training Programme. “I ran similar courses with the West Midlands Police in Birmingham,” he said.

Though retired since 2001, Mr Kennett has spent some time up to this point, actively involved in crime management and criminal investigation. He explained that since retirement, he has been working on a number of investigations in the region.

“I spent 3 months in Anguilla working on the murder of (15-year-old) Jamida Webster.”

He added that a man was currently awaiting trial in that case.

“I also assisted with the investigation into the murder of Police Constable Prince Smith in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said DCI Kennett.

“In 2004 I prepared and ran a Crime Management Course in Kabul, for twenty-eight senior officers of the Afghanistan Police. That was a life-altering experience for me,” Mr Kennett revealed.

Asked whether he would be investigating crimes here, the answer was no. Explaining Mr Kennett’s role as a consultant, paid from funds from the Foreign Office, Mr Dixon said that Mr Kennett had not come to the Cayman Islands to look at what he described as “our backlog,” of criminal cases.

Mr Dixon added that Mr Kennett would be prescribing training needs and making recommendations in relation to the CID’s delivery of a proper service.

At 56 years of age, Mr Kennett has a two-year term ahead of him and he revealed that he had already given a, “suggested plan of action to the Acting Commissioner of Police.

“I have already spoken to a number of officers and support staff and initially I intend to spend some time with patrol officers, which will help me with the geography of the area and gain insight into the relationship between the police and the public,” Mr Kennett explained.

According to Mr Dixon, Mr Kennett has been given no specific targets in relation to his assignment. Mr Dixon also explained that following on Mr Kennett’s recommendations for the CID, targets would be set at that time.
Mr Kennett said that he would be briefing Mr Dixon through monthly reports, as well as on an ongoing basis.

Naming his passions as “victim care, witness care, forensic evidence gathering, major crime investigation, file preparation, domestic violence (issues) and child protection,” Mr Dixon said that, as part of accomplishing his primary objectives, he would be speaking with representatives of other agencies that interact with the CID.

The new consultant’s first presentation had its share of significant items. In relation to the RICPS he said that there was room for improvement. “Can we do things better? The answer, of course, is yes we can,” Mr Kennett said.

Also of significance was Mr Kennett’s allegiance to the due process of the law. He said, “Violent and dishonest people should be arrested. They should be professionally, ethically and efficiently dealt with and brought before the courts for justice to be served.”

Mr Kennett closed his presentation by underscoring the need for public support. “We need the help and support of the public, 99 percent of whom are law abiding. Without that our job becomes almost impossible. Without the public we are sunk.”

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