Bridger calls on community

(CNS): As the independent investigation into issues of corruption and misconduct within the RCIPS continues, Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger (left) said that there was still a need for more intelligence to help the team pursue their investigations. Bridger said that wherever the intelligence led he would be willing to follow, but it was important that people within the community and the police service itself continued to come forward to offer the kind of information that they could use.

As the independent investigation into issues of corruption and misconduct within the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) continues, Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger (left) said that there was still a need for more intelligence to help the team pursue their investigations. Bridger said that wherever the intelligence led he would be willing to follow but it was important that people within the community and the police service itself continued to come forward to offer the kind of information that they could use.

“I believe that there are other people out there in the Cayman community that have potential evidence about other wrong doing, and I want them to come forward in the same way that others already have,” he said, explaining that the intelligence that he and his team had received so far was all being assessed and absorbed into their investigations.

“I really hope more people can come forward and I encourage them to do so. While the overwhelming majority of officers in the RCIPS are good people, as with every police service everywhere in the world, there are always some who undermine the integrity of that service, and if the Caymanian people want a dependable and trustworthy police service they need to help us address the issues by coming forward and telling us what they know.”

Bridger said regardless of whom it is about or what the information and intelligence is, he and his team would pursue any credible intelligence in the utmost confidence and that the public could depend on his independence and ability to investigate unhindered. He said sometimes all the team need was to be pointed in the right direction to find the evidence they needed to pursue a line of enquiry.

“So far no one or anything has prevented our investigations from going where we believe they should,” Bridger said. “ I have not been and will not be told what I can or can’t investigate. No one has tried to stop me going where I need to go to find the evidence required and I have had a lot of support.”

Bridger was at pains to stress that his investigations is entirely independent and there was nothing to prevent him for pursuing any allegations no matter what the preconceived ideas of the community were. He also noted that anyone offering information that they honestly believed to be true would never end up on the wrong side of the law. “It is absurd to think that anyone who came to us with information that they believed to be true would end up in court. Anyone who honestly believes they have intelligence that could be related to wrongdoing within the police service is not breaking the law by coming to us, even if those allegations turn out to be entirely mistaken,” Bridger added.

With few avenues of recourse in the past, Bridger’s investigation is presenting a real opportunity to the public to pass on confidential information that they may have felt uncomfortable about divulging in the past to serving police officers. Bridger and his team are in the process of creating a channel by which the community can communicate with them about their concerns. Bridger has also offered a direct ‘Hotline’ to his own personal phone for anyone who has intelligence concerning issues of integrity or conduct within the RCIPS. “I have no problem with people calling me directly at anytime. The number is out there for people to use, and they can be confident that when it rings it will me that answers,” he said.

Bridger’s personal number is 927-2981.

He stressed that the investigation would only be a success if he could take it step by step, based on real evidence and not rumour or speculation. However, without evidence, he said, charges could not be brought against those who may have done wrong. Nevertheless, his team had already shown that with real evidence they could bring charges. Bridger added that because some people had the courage and the confidence to come forward with valuable information the team continued to work towards ensuring the RCIPS improved the service it gives to the people of the Cayman Islands.