No cops suspended in stolen drugs scandal
George Town Police Station evidence lock-up
(CNS): There have been no arrests or suspensions of police officers from their jobs, even though the commissioner has admitted that serving officers may have been directly involved in a major drug theft from an evidence locker in the George Town Police Station yard. RCIPS officials told CNS that the investigation is ongoing and connected arrests have been made, but none of those are police officers. “The investigation into the break-in led to the exposure of related criminal activity on the island,” police said.
Speaking to Tammi Sulliman on Cayman 27 this week about the work of the Anti-Corruption Commission, of which he is chairman, Police Commissioner David Baines said that the break-in at the RCIPS evidence locker, located behind the George Town Police Station, was of “real concern for us” and could be a case for the ACC.
The concerns centred around how the offenders “knew exactly what was where it was and when it was there and when it was to be disposed of”, he said. Four people had been arrested and charged, he said, and there would be more arrests, as the investigation had uncovered a drug network.
“Within that, I am sad to say, there are indications, and we have had direct information, that some police officers have been involved in that,” he said.
Earlier this week CNS also revealed that officers from the Bermuda Police Service had been in Cayman investigating allegations that police officers involved in a serious criminal case had supplied drugs to a key witness. The police have refused to give details about this investigation but, again, there is no indication that any officers have been suspended or arrested.
Following the news report on CNS, West Bay MLA Bernie Bush wrote to Deputy Governor Franz Manderson requesting information about the probe, which had remained firmly under wraps.
Manderson forwarded the request to Baines, who provided little more about the investigation, saying the limited response was due to legal issues. “I can confirm the Bermuda police have been investigating a matter linked to a Court of Appeal court case which is underway. Accordingly, as the matter is sub judice, I am unable to publish commentary further,” Baines wrote.
“On a general note, the RCIPS, and indeed any other force, would request outside assistance and independent investigation if allegations were made about the police or other agency, which if investigated in house could give rise to an allegation of conflict of interest or lack of independence by the RCIPS in investigating the allegations made. Other than such general commentary, I am unable to provide further detail at this time due to the existing case described,” he added.
My thoughts …. Switch the lights out, shut the door and leave them to it!
I may come back after I have rolled myself over.
Wow! When will Baines be held accountable for continued RCIPS failures?? When will the contracts to the security firm with Home Affairs Ministry connections be examined by the Auditor General???
When?? Never!! Because of Lodge protection. Lodge’s influence and control has never been as strong and evident as under this present Government!!
When???
When Caymanians stand up united and demand better!! That’s when!
7:52. I agree, we need to march and demand more from those people who seem to be above all laws. Let’s break the barriers down and hold them accountable. For all that has happened on Baines watch, he should’ve been fired and shipped off of this island. What we need is another Jim Boded to take care of him. We Ned people with spine not jelly God a backbone.
Wake up, or we will soon be extinct.
I never thought Cayman Islands police were corrupt!! I’m still waiting to hear who kill my friend who they say drowned in December!! they say they still investigating but no one questioned – Don’t expect any thing to be done now I’m reading this. Very sad and disappointing.
On the face of this incident while Mr. Baines has oversight and ultimate authority somewhat to the Security of evidence, he is/was not in direct operational control of this situation. He more then likely deligated this responsibility to another who the actual carrying out of any orders was executed by a small number if any RCIP Officers. There is also not a large number of Employees present at the RCIP headquarters in the wee hours, but it is not closed and shut down for the night as Policing activities are on going. This brings a narrow suspect pool for at least people involved. Running a neck and neck this is the additional SECURITY if not all of the actual physical protection of the container being deligated to the Security Centre. This company the Security Centre had many layers of protection and layers of after the fact SECURITY allegedly in place. There needs to be accountable creditable information explaining how this happened, and why the colossal failure that has allowed this to be.
CIG let the “Bad Boyz” get their claws into the RCIP ranks. Again…..this is all CIGs responsibility for not standing in and doing something about when the first signs were obvious. Now the good people of Cayman are paying the price. This is the most amazing story…a police station robbed of its illegal drug seizure. Bad Boyz, Bad Boyz, what ya gonna due when they come for you…..nothing….as they aren’t coming.
The robbery of the drugs are only one thing that happened under the UK police commissioner. What about the big surveillance/communication command vehicle that disappeared from a small 76 sq mile island without a trace. No video footage was ever produced from the expensive CCTV system which is being provided and fought for by the inside senior civil servant during budget time each year. I guarantee you that NO caymanian would be in the post of commissioner of police this length of time with such a terrible record of incompetence. Not only that, but CNS and the talk show would be burning with calls from the expats in particular demanding that the commissioner be fired. This country needs a huge shake up by cleaning out everyone at the top levels of the civil service who is responsible in any way for the police.
Shouldn’t that include the Governor? They are only in those positions to ensure that we fail.
Na so – we have met the enemy and they is us.
“NO COPS SUSPENDED IN DRUG SCANDAL”
Did anyone expect any suspension? Does the governor care? Does ANYONE care? Apparently not!
They got a pay raise shortly after the drugs we’re stolen. Does not surprise me that no officers face suspension when they are clearly awarding criminal behavior.
Legalize, tax, and control all drugs.
Move drug addiction problems from the criminal legal system over to the mental and physical health care systems.
Put the criminals out of business.
Currently, the drug lords make huge profits and contribute nothing.
Is this a panacea? No. There will always be people who are prone to addiction problems; however, if we tax drug consumption we will at least have public resources to help clean up the on going mess.
We currently tax alcohol at extortionate levels. How is that working for you?
Better than during the prohibition era in the US when the mafia made black market profits. That is the point which you seemed unable to comprehend.
Once again the reputation of the RCIP is being tarnished as the RCIP has failed to be forth coming and honest about this matter. The RCIP has repeated requests and for help into criminality, only to have criminals employed. How can the public trust that they are not in danger by reporting criminal activities when the Police themselves are possibly criminals? Who do you trust? While this is not true of all of the RCIP, there is a percentage that is not negligible that are involved in criminality demonstrated by this incident and others.
The other big pink elephant in the room is the Security Centre and their involving business with the RCIP. This company supplied allegedly the guards, the burglar alarm system for the make shift storage evidence room, the public cctv system around the area and Georgetown, a number of Private cctvs and have not produced quality evidence to aid in apprehending the guilty. I think this is safe to say as no-one has been relieved of their duties, nor have charges been layed. The area where the container is,is fenced and the RCIP headquarters is covering a large section of one side. How did this happen with one guard at least, cameras, an alarm and Police present? I think that Mr Baines and Mr. Bostock from the Security Centre need to be held accountable and if the charge of the above is not just limited to them, the other entities need to be identified and held accountable also as the two Captians of the ship appear incompetent and should not hold the blame if it is not theirs to own. Baines is the head of our Enforcement arm of the Government. He is spearing a campaign of failures under his watch. The SECURITY Centre is billing millions some years to the CI Government without providing proof of quality service. It is time that certain matters are clarified and put into perspective, while the image of corruption is not burned permentaly into the publics mind and restore faith into the RCIP
this would not have happened with a 100% uk/canadian police force. end of story.
Why, because they’re white…. It happens in all races and all over the world sonny boy
Factually incorrect.
Ammo missing, drugs missing, murderer hired, what the hell is happening? How many foreign officers are really clean? Can someone speak up or speak out?
It wouldn’t happen under an all UK or Canadian police force? Just like how the new prison director had never had a escape in his 30 plus years career. Two weeks after he took up his big position of head of the prison we had the largest escape in the history of the Cayman Islands. The Chief Officer Eric Bush then employed his wife in his ministry immediately thereafter – you go figure.
we are doomed with a police farce made up of too many west indian wide boys….
Babylon inna di yard, brrup brrup!
Why didn’t you point at the English police commissioner instead of the West Indies cops? I guess that is because they are mostly if not all black.
Well they are mostly from Jamaica and you know the ‘white Jamaicans don’t need to work as cops here or in Ja so yes mainly black cops who are used to a country filled with corruption because they wanted the white/mixed European and Middle Eastern descendants to take Ja from UK.
So poor people are still acting like slaves and aggressively fighting for the scraps, same model used by ‘white Jamaicans and Caymanians’ here but the black cops do have more power here because they can easily scare those in charge here but still used to being from corrupt culture.
Only if we’re willing to balance the force with majority Caymanians and British officers (not Canadians, they’re also just as desperate and looking for set up) this foolishness will get worse because the Jamaican cops are mainly there for the money and no sense of allegiance to Cayman and most don;t respect the people.
What chance do we have?
Chance of what?
And in other news today we learned absolutely nothing about anything, except that transparency does not seem to be a priority in the Cayman Islands.
Transparency? Seems like they are very blatant with their actions and really don’t care anymore about perception cause they know that the rich and powerful are never held to account.
I have never heard so much run around and go around in my life , but there’s spects under investigation, linked to a other case . The chief better be careful that they don’t steal him of the job .
We can display Ricky Manderson to the world but corrupt foreign police and foreign Child molesters and predators can’t not be even named . The presumption of innocence does not exist for Caymanians that is very clear.
And Corrupt Caymanian police and child molesters can be named? Interesting but incredibly racist perspective.
Anytime you point how Anti Caymanian this place has become all you can hear is the word racist from you Which clearly points out where your hold frame of mind constantly lies.
Twist all you want, the original posters comment is racist. You can call it anti Caymanian if it makes you feel better. It was not, it was a statement of fact that local and foreign criminals in certain cases are not named unless convicted. Equality, finally. But don’t let facts get in the way of a good rant!
So MLA B. Bush, you would like the details of the investigation divulged to you so you can talk about it and spread the word? Surely you should feel that this information should be under very tight control so that ALL the involved persons can be caught. Do you think that will happen with you talking?
Be honest……..Baines let a Jamician former Police Officer in Jam serve in the RCIP with a firearm no less remain on active duty even restricted but still having full Constable powers with a pending murder charge. Drug dealing is less serious. You can’t make this up.
LOL! Can I put in a tender for the RCIPS whitewash contract? It must be worth a fortune!