MLAs question CoP’s ability to manage RCIPS
David Baines, Cayman Islands Commissioner of Police (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
(CNS): The two independent members for the districts of North Side and East End have both called into question the abilities of the police commissioner to manage the resources allocated to the RCIPS. Both Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean said the time has come to find out if the police are being properly resourced and if they are to fire the top cop, as they complained that their district are still without a police presence despite repeated commitments.
During their individual contributions to the budget debate last week both independent members noted the lack of reference to the crime problem in the premier’s budget address and called on the authorities to address the ongoing failure of the RCIPS management to police their districts properly.
McLean said he appreciated the problem that the premier, as home affairs minister, faced in that he had the responsibility for allocating the financial resources to the RCIPS but he had no say in the operations. But the East End MLA pointed out that the public doesn’t care who is responsible for what element, only that they don’t see any police in their communities and as legislators they all had a responsibility to their constituents.
“We must put pressure on to make sure our people are safe,” he said, adding that they were not feeling safe at present.
McLean said that every time police were deployed to East End and crime falls, they are soon moved and the crime spikes again. His constituents, he said, were worried by the lack of police presence and if the RCIPS doesn’t have the resources, government must ensure the commissioner, David Baines, has the budget allocation required to cover policing needs in the eastern districts.
“But if does have them, then we need to fire him,” McLean said, pointing to the failure on the part of Baines to deliver on his past commitments.
Ezzard Miller raised the same problem, saying that both North Side and East End are constantly being told the police don’t have the resources to have a permanent police presence in those districts. Miller noted the pattern of governments providing the resources and then the police appearing for a while only to be taken back as the RCIPS management redirect the resources somewhere else.
“We need to get a handle on the crime,” Miller said, recalling the closed door meeting held several years ago when the RCIPS set out what they needed to tackle crime and were given everything they asked for. “But we still got no help in North Side and East End.”
At some point, he said, the government must deal with the administration of the RCIPS and ask what is going on with the management of the resources.
“When we give you the resources, we expect it to be done and if you don’t do it, you need to be sent home, as you don’t have the capacity to manage the resources,” the independent member stated, speaking to the police commissioner.
Miller queried how it was that the police management believed they could expect to address crime with one officer driving through East End and North Side once a day with the windows up and talking on his cell phone.
“When police are there in my community the crime goes down,” he claimed, but said as soon as they disappear the crime goes up, and wanted to know where it was that the police went to when they left the eastern districts.
Yet another lizard witch hunt????
Is it a full moon? It would never occur to Pinky and Perky to question their own competence. Just half a brain cell each and those only work when they can smell the gravy train.
You mean like those who sit in the LA?
Is there anything Miller and McLean could ever say which is so fatuous that CNS would not slavishly report it? Why do you give these buffoons such an uncritical, unquestioning platform?
Perhaps McLean and Miller need to take a look at the work being done in the East by the pro-active team? There’s a lot of good work going on. Of course, neither of you usually will listen to anything other than your narrow views.
So much hatred on this island!
But there is no question about the caymanian leaderships ability to get anything done competently or without a whole lot of money disappearing. But that’s normal here right?The real question should be why in the world would Baines want to continue taking the blame game for another year?
I’m no fan of Baines but we need to remember that it was a similar stunt to this (and involving one of the two MLAs named here) that led to Derek Haines removal from RCIPS. Whilst they may have a point I’m not comfortable with the motives of at least one of those asking the questions.
@ 10:19 That’s a lot of racist diatribe and I am no fan of Ezzard because he’s equally racist. I am a driftwood like you but would never making such sweeping statements about any nationality let alone those who are my hosts. I can tell you that I know of expat police officers who left after Ivan and didn’t stand their ground as you try to suggest. But I also that there were Caymanian officers that didn’t demonstrate loyalty and patriotism either. However, many expat and Caymanian officers served these islands faithfully and made many personal sacrifices to keep these islands safe and it was not one man and another as some would want us to believe.
And leadership matters, which is not to agree with Ezzad’s nonsense as crime is bigger than just the CoP/police and requires more than enforcement to fix Cayman’s crime problem. For starters, examine how we raised our children and the values we are teaching them – give them a book not an IPad and Xbox – well it used be Gameboy and we see the results. When you are home at nights ask yourself why are your kids not home or likewise when you are out clubbing what are your kids doing on the Internet? Ezzard even if you have an army it won’t solve the problem because the police can only lock them up for so long and yesterday my police friends were arresting their parents; today they are dealing with their offsprings. Stop the noise and offer real solutions.
Congratulations to whoever wrote this post.I’m a British expat who has resided here for 46 years,and I totally agree with your comments. There is a lot of racism on this island but it is equally on both sides of the fence. Expats have done very well here with the encouragement of the Caymanian government, yet too often they take cheap shots at the locals, instead of being grateful for the opportunities they have been offered
Ah the race card, didn’t take long for the wooly headed liberals to make their point.
This is clearly not racist, it is a point of view in regard to a population, not a race. Considering the vast majority of ‘Caymanians’ are the proud product of intermarriage between many differing races, exactly what race are you defending, Latino, Caribbean/African, white European, Asian?
And, why do you automatically assume that the commentators race or colour is different from the people he/she criticises, is it because you’re blinkered to an opposing view other than your own, or is it that you assume that this must be a colour issue and not a political one.
Have you been to the UK or the U.S recently, they’ve now got people of different races actually walking in the street, voting, inter marrying, serving in the military and working in government. Yes, the world has moved on from the narrow minded view of the past, other integrated races have a voice now, we can comment on lots of stuff without identifying our colour, religion or lineage.
Could it be that you are a closet racist yourself, or just a wet blanket who can’t justify an argument, or maybe a typical leftie liberal who cynically attempts to close down arguments by resorting to claims of racism.
The last UK Labour government, (and many other EU governments) tried that on immigration and membership of the EU and look what happened there. Stifling argument doesn’t work, it just makes people more determined to have their voice heard.
Racist diatribe my ass! It is simply an opinion, you know, freedom of speech, which suits those who constantly use terms like ‘driftwood’ when referring to expats, and who allow discrimination and corruption to go unchallenged because they don’t want the boat rocked. And for the record, I like to be referred to as a ‘paper Caymanian’ as it defines me as someone who actually worked and contributed for his nationality and wasn’t given it by birth or marriage.
These are not sweeping statements, they are based on my own, and others close to me, first hand experiences during the past 25 years.
And as for Ivan, well many may have left after the event, but far too many local officers failed to either report for duty or remain at their posts prior to the storm arriving.
Why on earth would people stay who are constantly criticised, racially abused, allocated central cell duties but pushed out in front when locals didn’t want to attend incidents, subjected to masogonistic and sexist attitudes and behaviours and dare I say it, mischievously accused of indiscipline or incompetence to ensure their removal from these islands. They also watched helplessly whilst British military assistance, (the Royal Navy Carribean Patrol) was offered to and declined by equally incompetent leaders. They witnessed the deliberate censorship of news reaching the world, resulting in wide spread ignorance of Caymans dreadful plight and the denial of much needed aid.
Oh yes, I can’t imagine why they would let you stew in your own mire!
Why should we sit back and be constantly held up as the bad guys? We maybe here due to the Caymanian lack of will to fulfil jobs they see as low paid or beneath their delusional high standards. We maybe here because they lack the knowledge, the skills and the experience to carry out certain specialist roles, (Fire Chief for a recent example) but we sure don’t have to be subject to constant blame, open and pernicious racism by private and public officials or lectures from those whose self interest blinds them to the obvious. We have human rights too!!!
Would the UK or US be allowed to treat overseas workers with such disdain without someone standing their corner and pointing out the obvious, I think not? Go down to the back roads of GT and witness the depravation that many poor expats are forced to live in. We are not here as welcomed guests, we built this island from nothing and continue to do so whilst some Caymanians reap the benefits of indentured slavery. Please don’t lecture us on how grateful we should be, we are here to work, in some cases 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, (including holidays). In many cases we are hundreds or thousands of miles from our homes and families, the vast majority are very poorly paid and travel here at our own expense. But we don’t complain, we just get on with it whilst others disparage and abuse our contribution to the wealth of the Cayman Islands and Caymanians.
Perhaps all expats should take a days absence one day, let’s see how well Cayman does on its own shall we, let’s see if that motivates a sense of community pride, patriotism and loyalty or, as I suspect, the country would just close down for the day.
In any case, public officials are fair game for criticism, especially when they spew such stupid and openly racist bile. These two idiots aren’t interested in the management of the RCIPS, they just want the removal of a white, British police officer who will not bend to their bullying and warped sense of civic duty. This is a familiar line from these two and I for one am not going to sit back and listen to this crap.
In regard to your opinions on the causes of crime and societies responsibilities, I totally agree with you. However, the lack of civic duty, pride, social cohesion and indifference that is so prevalent in Cayman reflects a general attitude of self entitlement and a take, take, take attitude that has become the norm. Adults claim their rights, but fail to recognise their responsibilities, their children are taught nationalistic views which colour their opinions of those who contribute a staggering amount in labour and to the countries exchequer.
No sir, I will not apologise until it is recognised by those who take us for granted that we are the vital cog in the machinery of Cayman and its future. I have no fight with the vast majority of Caymanians, but I do have a problem with those who use nationalistic clap trap to further their personal cause.
Waw thank you for saying it so well, can we convince you to run in 2017?
Caymanian blood.
Spot On.
yawn…..the usual windbags always looing for an easy excuse…….
The same rules should then apply to all the MLA’s for non performance, other than managing to make it to Rooster every Tuesday what else do these two do? talk about hypocritical .
If Grand Cayman had a coordinated Traffic Dept of but twelve patrol cars that would be willing to ticket ALL TRAFFIC LAW OFFENSES, ALL THE TIME – including the ability and willingness to give pursuit when necessary – we would have an effective deterrent against the status quo of visible lawlessness; higher quality of life; and lower attending crime. The operational cost of these crews should be self-financing from ticket revenue and make little to any impact on the CI$32mln already mis-managed by the 400+ invisible employees. This should fall on Commandant Chris Duggan, Deputy Commandant Arthur McTaggart, Assistant Commandant Carolyn Parker, and the individual Sergeants of the three police stations (all on their website). If David Baines isn’t asking them to do this, we, our district MLAs, and the media, should challenge their thinking directly. This should be the easiest and bare minimum task on the “we act” part of the RCIPS motto.
Some good points here, but why should the responsibility for traffic enforcement fall on the volunteers of the Special Constabulary? Surely the 400 odd full time trained constables and officers should provide the pool from which the traffic department can be staffed. They can’t all be needed for paper pushing duty.
Assuming 24/400 is <6% of their workforce – any dummy can write the tickets that need to be written. Traffic Law is pretty short – only a few pages of ticket-able offenses to understand. It doesn't matter who does it.
Stop beating the dead dog to death. If you have a worn out pair of shoes what would you do with it? I would put it in the garbage for disposal. How about disposing of all unwanted, useless parasites. If the heat is too hot in the kitchen, it is time to get out of it.
If the CoP cannot deliver it is time for him to throw in his towel. We need workers, not vacationers.
The real question in parliament with whether the members of North Side and East end are able to manage their districts effectively. Recent statements and policies they seem to be pushing for doesn’t seem to indicate that *at all*
Boat ramps. Always on about boat ramps. Instead of hugely expensive elected boat ramp renovation coordinators these duties should be handled by the volunteer district action committees.
I can tell you where the officers are! Just drive past the BT police station and count the police car parked outside. That should give you an indication that most prefer to sit in the AC rather than dealing with even simple things such as traffic offenders.
Where should one start on the inadequacies of Ezzard and Arden? Is there a word limit Nicky?
Take a gander at the budget vs performance numbers over the past 15 years. As the budget has gone up, up, up the crimes “cleared up” numbers have gone down. The graph looks like a big X. Curiously, overall crimes reported have remained fairly static at around 2500-3000 per year.
RCIPS leadership has been failing for a long time and Baines is just the latest in a long line of poor management performance.
He does seem quite good at busting up getaways, so maybe he could be put out on the beat.
Hey Ezzard, take a lesson in organisational management and law enforcement before you let loose with your over expansive mouth. The chances are that the ‘administration’, as you so elequantly term it, is the responsibility of the CoP’s senior management team, most of whom are Caymanian.
It’s true that if you can’t fulfil the expected tasks then you should go home, but who ever heard of a Caymanian doing anything wrong, especially in public office?
If Caymanians actually responded to recruitment drives, stood their ground against lawlessness, (hurricane Ivan) and actually dealt with crime instead of sitting on their expansive backsides, letting expat cops pick up the pieces, then we might get somewhere. I frequently see Caymanian officers on their phones, in their cars and ignoring the public they serve, (that’s all of the public, not just Caymanians).
Practice what you preach and lead by example.
‘When police are in my community, crime goes down’, newsflash Ezzard, it’s OUR community, not yours. You are our servant, not our ruler.