Inspector Claudia Brady Head of the FSU

With growing demands on the police to intervene more in family matter, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) says it remains committed to assisting families in difficulty but will stick to the law.

“The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) would like to advise the public that while the Family Support Unit (FSU) is committed to assisting families in difficulty, there is only so much they can do, and they must stay within the law, when it comes to child custody issues,” a press release from the RCIPS said this week.

Recently the specialist support unit has been approached by several people who are in conflict with their partner over access to children. In these circumstances, the couple will be referred to the Department of Children and Family Services to assist with supervised visits. The police are unable to prevent one parent from leaving the Island with the child, unless there is a court order in place stating that this is not allowed, the RCIPS said.

“We are here to assist in any way we can,” said Head of the FSU, Inspector Claudia Brady.

“However, we do not have the power to get involved in disputes over children unless there is an official court order in place.”

Inspector Brady advised single parents or married couples who are separated or going through a divorce and who may be having or anticipate having problems with a partner or spouse to seek legal advice from an attorney.

“Once you have a court order stating the terms and conditions of custody rights, pass a copy to the FSU so we can assist should a problem arise,” she said.

The FSU provides expertise and inter-agency liaison in areas of domestic violence, child protection and victim support. The unit’s main objective is to provide an innovative, efficient, confidential service to immediate and extended members of the family unit by maintaining and encouraging open lines of communication.

The detectives assigned to the unit have received specialist training in the investigation of child neglect, sexual and physical abuse and vulnerable adults who are victims or witnesses. They are also trained to deal with domestic violence complaints. All officers have considerable experience and knowledge in dealing with issues affecting the family and deal with each case in a caring and confidential manner, according to the RCIPS.

The unit aims to provide a supportive, sensitive, easily accessible and reassuring service to all its customers whilst also guaranteeing that all suspects are treated fairly.

To contact the Family Support Unit call 946-9185, and for the Crisis Centre call 943-2422.