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Police applauded as crime rate falls in East End
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
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Stuart Kernohan
Police Commissioner |
Senior Officers listen to East End residents at the Community meeting.
Burglaries are now rare in the district of East End according to the police, who said crime had been cut in half over a 19-month period in, even though the district still does not have a full complement of full-time officers.
On 6 July 2006, at a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) community meeting, residents, along with Hon Arden McLean - Cabinet Minister and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for that district - congratulated the police on the increased and successful policing efforts in the district over the past six months.
At the start of the meeting Chief Inspector Adrian Seales - officer charged with overall authority for the Eastern districts - and Inspector Alden Welcome reported on the RCIPS' successes.
High on the list of achievements was the drop in burglaries from 25 between November 2004 to June 2005 to only 3 for November 2005 to June 2006.
Commenting on the achievement, Police Commissioner Stuart Kernohan said that in any jurisdiction it would be hard to beat such a significant percentage drop in a crime over that period of time.
Other successes such as arrests for traffic offences were next, and the officers revealed that that figure had jumped by almost 300 per cent - from 25, between November 2004 and June 2005, to 105 in the November 2005 to June 2006 period.
In addition, arrests for speeding offences increased by over 400 per cent during the same comparative periods - from 13 up to 68.
Occupying an equally prominent place in the list of achievements was the 44 per cent drop in total crimes - going from 48, down to 27.
Heaping praises on the police, one resident said it owed much to the officers' visibility.
"I have seen an increased physical presence in the district since the last time we met," he added.
"I congratulate you all," and, like many other residents that spoke before him, singled out Inspector Welcome and PC Davis Scott for special commendation.
Yet another resident said he wanted to add his "voice of commendation to Alden (Inspector Welcome) and Davis (PC Scott). They are worth their weight in gold," - a comment that went over very well with the gathering, in light of the fact that both men are strongly built.
Mr McLean added his commendation for Officers Welcome and Scott and said, the fact that such great successes could be achieved with only two dedicated officers for the district "speaks volumes" for the quality of the work being done by the police.
"Thank you on behalf of the people of the district. Revered and respected men like these are exactly what the few bad elements in this district need," he said.
Even while handing over kudos to the officers for addressing crime in the district, Mr McLean also spoke about the fact that East End still did not have police assigned to it on a 24-hour basis.
Mr McLean said he had lobbied for this for some time and it still was not in place.
"We need police in the district. I beg of you Mr Commissioner, get the police here," he added.
The district's police station that was still being refurbished was one problem in relation to permanent staff for the district.
Based on Chief Inspector Seales' report, the station is still under repairs and will be ready in another two months.
Another problem was the difficulty in getting officers to join the force.
"Before I came here I did not quite appreciate the difficulties with recruitment of officers," Mr Kernohan said.
"I have met with my fellow Caribbean Commissioners three or four times already and the difficulty is region-wide."
Giving more details on officer staff for the district, Chief Inspector Seales said that by the end of this month two more officers would be assigned and, by the end of September, another three would be added to the list.
"That would give a total of nine officers assigned to East End and that would be the point at which East End would have officers assigned on a 24-hour basis," Chief Inspector Seales said.
He apologised that the full-time assignment process had delayed and added, "If I had it, I would wave a magic wand" to let staff fall into place.
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