Dirt bikes stolen from under cops’ noses

| 16/03/2016 | 82 Comments
Cayman News Service

Cage at the George Town Police Station from which the dirt bikes were stolen

(CNS): Eight illegal dirt bikes confiscated by the RCIPS were stolen from the George Town Police Station after two separate break-ins into the rear yard. But senior police officers are blaming the state of the 1970’s building that houses the main police station, saying it is not fit for purpose and has been condemned for more than two decades. Chief Superintendent Kurt Walton said CCTV cameras in the yard, acquired from the Security Centre Ltd, have not been working properly and the RCIPS is now going through the process of buying new equipment.

During a walk-through of the crumbling police station in the heart of the capital with the media on Wednesday afternoon, Walton said that he could not comment on whether or not the RCIPS was trying to get its cash back for what appears to be faulty equipment but he said the cameras were not working on either occasion when the dirt bikes were stolen. Police believe the suspects climbed the walls, broke the locks on the caged areas where the dirt bikes were kept and made off with the bikes through the automatic gates.

Three bikes went missing sometime over the weekend before 29 February and another five were stolen this past weekend, but police said they recovered three of the bikes Wednesday during an operation in George Town. The investigation into the theft continues but Walton would not comment on whether he believed that the suspects were assisted by anyone on the inside.

The loss of the eight dirt bikes from the back doorstep of the police station comes in the wake of the controversial break-in last year of the evidence lock-up, which is also in the same yard. Walton said police will have to spend money on improving the yard security.

He said that the yard is not a secure area as it is a car park but police have nowhere else to store vehicles that have been seized or involved in crashes, and as a result officers are being posted on round-the-clock shifts to watch the yard constantly. A perimeter fence and barbed wire is also being erected on top of the existing concrete wall, which he said the suspects scaled in order to get in.

However, Walton stressed that the police station has never used security guards and has used its own officers to police the premises.

Cayman News Service

Motorbikes held at the George Town Police Station

“The rear yard of George Town Police Station was originally intended as a car park, not a police compound,” said Walton. “The security for this area has been a problem for us since the 1990’s. We continue to struggle with the limitations of providing 21st century policing with a building that has long exceeded its building lifespan.”

The police said that the building was described as having “concrete cancer” in a 2010 structural engineering survey, which recommended a new police station. The rear yard is crowded with confiscated property and police cars and simply does not provide enough space for the needs of a contemporary police station, the management emphasised.

But with no extra cash expected for the police in the 2016/17 budget, Walton said the money for extra security will come out of other spending areas, like important new safety equipment for officers, such as protection vests and radios.

Deputy Commissioner Ennis supported Walton’s comments that the RCIPS was in desperate need of a new police station for the capital, as he pointed to the appalling and dilapidated state of the building his officers are forced to work in.

Government has indicated that it has begun the process of reviewing the value of the land that the GTPS is on in order to sell it and build a new police station and court-house in the Crewe Road area, but the plans have not yet passed even the discussion phase, indicating it could be a very long time coming. Despite the announcements, Walton told the press that he still has 13 years before he retires from the service and was certain he will not see a new station before that day.

“I have no confidence that between now and when I reach age 60 that this station is going to be replaced,” he said. “If I do see it, it will be fantastic.”

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Category: Crime, Police

Comments (82)

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  1. Observer says:

    One of the bikes is running around Swamp and another is just off Crewe Road near Every Bloomin Thing.

  2. Anonymous says:

    So if I am reading this correctly the police got robbed, didn’t even know it, and then got robbed again a short time later. Or they got robbed, knew it, and got robbed again a short time later. I’m not really sure which scenario is worse.

    I guess if you need some weed, some blow, or a new bike you know where to go now.

  3. Michel Lemay says:

    Unbelievable. Just when you think you heard it all. Stealing from the police station a 2nd time and this time it’s the building fault. Really ?. That don’t sound to righted. Common man !

  4. Anonymous says:

    This is so common in Cayman. People are brought in because “no qualified Caymanians can be found”, yet whatever has been imported doesn’t look that bright either, does it?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Sorry, but isn’t the Governor in charge of police? When is she going to decide that perhaps some are not performing as they should and it is way past time for someone to be held responsible? This is a serious slap in the face of all residents on Island. I appreciate that people make a joke of this, but unfortunately, this is no longer a laughing matter.

    Most of us in the private sector are fired for much lesser failures.

  6. Anon says:

    Just ask Dart to buy the GT police station and finance the new police station on Crewe Rd. He’s bought everything else…..

  7. Anonymous says:

    Don’t worry people. Remember the post last month. Statistically crime is down, quoted by the RCIP.SoOoO technically it’s ok.

  8. Anonymous says:

    I wish I was a young man again so I could get in on the fun with the local cops.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Delegation of responsibilities is an important part of Management but, I believe it was President Truman of the US who had a sign on his desk in the Oval Office – ” The buck stops here “. Clearly the Commissioner does not subscribe to this philosophy.

  10. Anonymous says:

    got lots of cop friends….the problem is the locals and west indians in the force…..
    sad but true…

    • Shhhhhhhhhh. says:

      You have lots of cop friends! Must be the ones who hang out at Fidel Murphy’s, and those other ex-pat hangouts. So, they are all good, and the Caymanians and West Indians are not! My God, what a load of rubbish. I have seen so many northern hemisphere cops come and go, and half of them were bloody useless, and only came to sun their buns. You know nothing about the truth at all, I pity you.

  11. Anonymous says:

    So, policing hasn’t changed since the 60’s as well then?! Cause the way they are performing now, one would assume so.

  12. What's app says:

    I am a bit surprised this is the same yard $2 million worth of drugs was stolen and yet the police did not secure the bikes or even check to be certain the cameras were working. There must be policies or inspections in place that checks equipments to ensure they work. I hope your batons, pepper sprays and hand cuffs work?

    On another note, these CCTVs are a joke! Why isn’t there an investigation into the awarding of the contracts of the cctvs and the guards at all government buildings. It’s a bit strange government has such a great relationship with this company.

  13. Burning Spear says:

    Well Senor Legge this puts your a$$ smooching RCIPS Cayman Compass editorial at same level of Jeffrey WEBB reforming FIFA!!!

    • Conscience says:

      Well well, do we have an issue or don’t we have an issue with police competency. It seems that now is the time for Baines to be “EXCUSED” from his position, for no doubt we will be heating that he was off island, or no funds available or some other wish you easy story being told. Enough is enough Madame Governor do your duty even though it may be embarrassing, we expect no less from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s representative.

      God Save save the Queen.

    • Perry says:

      I don’t understand why we keep confining our criticism about accountability to our Civil service. We were told by the compass last month that 15 persons were fired in the civil service last year. I know that must have been a huge kick in the n..ts to many who have been incorrectly blogging that no one gets fired in the civil service.

      When will we turn our criticism to the private sector. Where is the call for heads to roll at CNC who just shamed our islands with a $6m fine ?

      What about the gas companies who have been keeping the gas prices unreasonably high for months now.

      What about our telecom companies who can’t provide good Internet service to our homes?

      And the list goes on ….

      Listen we are right to call for the officers responsible for the safe keeping of those bikes to be held to account. But Let’s try and be fair with our critism

      If we can’t see the positive changes in the civil service in the last 3 years we must be blind. Oh by the way I just renewed my drivers licence while sitting on my porch sipping my coffee. 5 min max.

  14. Cayguy says:

    Hey QUIET! The RCIPS is “investigating”. Please have some respect. Rah, some fool just wheelie past me as i typing this

  15. Anonymous says:

    Gone In Sixty Seconds – Cayman Edition

  16. Wild theories says:

    If you don’t laugh then you cry……I’m crying laughing right now!

  17. Knot S Smart says:

    Ok. I forgive the RCIPS for putting black powder all over my windows and doors when someone broke into my house – then just forgetting about the whole break-in…
    Now someone breaking into Police Headquarters and they are all baffled…
    I wonder what would happen if you put the whole bunch of them in a wet paper bag and folded the top – then put the bag in a bathtub half-filled with water?…

    • Anonymous says:

      Baines and his merry band of incompetents are perfect examples of how NOT to fight crime. Baines is the poster boy for incompetence.

      • Anonymous says:

        Absolutely, yes. Lack of funds for facilities is definitely Baines’ fault. He should have sold both his own kidneys to help pay for a 10-year government consultation on the possibility of maybe thinking about theoretically making the GTPS fit for purpose.

    • Anonymous says:

      They did the same to my house! Idiots.

  18. Anonymous says:

    I could understand if it was one bike , but for crying out loud, eight bikes!!!….no man something na right,I need to contain myself cause if I don’t I ga du-du up mi self from laughing.

  19. Anonymous says:

    The real issue here is the Cayman’s next generation.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks Mac!

    • Anonymous says:

      I think a bigger issues is your inability to construct an intelligible sentence.

      • Anonymous says:

        I was just in the midst of typing a smarta$$ reply to your comment (which adds absolutely no value to this article), when I happened to look back at your horrific grammar…. It speaks for itself.

        Go take a hike, loser.

  20. Anonymous says:

    LOL!!! Honestly, I come on here daily now – just for a good laugh. If it isn’t the comments, it’s the actual article. My friends & I have a saying “Only in Cayman” – cause Jah know, the things that happen here are just absurd. Brand new cars flying through traffic with their lights on just to get through, but no one guarding the illegal items/vehicles etc. that are impounded at the police station. Amazinggg!

  21. Caymanian says:

    I had to just do a double take on my phone. Is it April 1st already. Was not yesterday Mar 16th?? Hold on, this is real? OMG How embarrassing. RCIP now come on. How are we ever going to have respect for you and you can’t secure your own crap? Wonder if these are the bikes I see these doing wheelies on our main roads.

  22. Anonymous says:

    lets see what the silly Cayman Compass Editorial has to say about this – What desperate attempt will they make to shore this up? They said in there last editorial that,” We support our police” and they have confidence in them. Shows how competent their writers are.

    CNS – Thank God for you!

    If this was England Baines and Killpatrick would have been sacked a dozen times over, but whilst in front of the colonial monkeys they can’t be chastised. Why is that? This is going to start hitting international headlines.

    • Anonymous says:

      If this was England Baines would have been given the tools to do the job and you’d have had 1,000 people laugh at your ignorant comment already.

      • Anonymous says:

        If this was England there would only be half as many police and we would not have to write our statements our own statements out!

  23. Anonymous says:

    Wow!! What a Royal disgrace this is. ( pardon the pun) this is going from ridiculous to absurd.

  24. Anonymous says:

    Dear Gov’na,

    Please could you let us know when exactly some heads will begin to roll at RCIPS for these continued incompetence’s?

    Thank you,

    Concerned Caymanian

  25. Anonymous says:

    Another day another example of RCIPS incompetence… I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  26. Jotnar says:

    Messrs Walton and Ennis are clever, educated men, so perhaps they can explain something I find a little confusing. What does the state of the building have to do with securing the car park next to it, and if you are going to store drugs and evidence in a car park, why is a law enforcement agency with over 300 officers for a small island apparently completely unable to secure a walled and fenced car park?

  27. Realist says:

    Just have a couple of things to say

    So the RCIPS purchased the cameras from TSC, surely they have a service agreement contract, if not why?

    I know they are staying there are no funds fort these cameras in their budget, from my recollection the planning dept is in charge of all government building and are responsible for service and repairs making sure everything is safe. Why would the RCIPS have to pay for the cameras, this dept can pay for it..

    I recall when an officer our inspector would make us do 30 min check of the stn and we would have to call in by radio saying all is in order.

    To me there is no excuse for this.

    • Anonymous says:

      The CCTV contract was a farce from day one. Rather than build on years of experience and advice available for free from local authorities in the UK CIG gave the job to a local company with no CCTV experience.

      The original specs for the system were a joke, when they were implemented monitoring equipment already installed in the 911 centre had to be ripped out and replaced with inferior products. ANPR was promised even though everyone involved knew the necessary software was not going to be available. The reason it all doesn’t work is because it was never designed to.

      This whole contract was cobbled together by a bunch of people who had no idea what they were doing and should be investigated.

  28. Anonymous says:

    So how many of these RCIPS officers are telling their buddies about the malfunctioning CCTV? No one respects the law here, it’s actually quite alarming.

    • SSM345 says:

      7:21, Kurt just told the world, so its a bit more than their “buddies” that now know our CCTV does not work.

  29. Anonymous says:

    No money? Driving brand new Land Rovers which must have cost a good $70,000 each. They destroy vehicles in no time. Buy basic cars. They do not need Land Rovers. Who has ultimate responsibility for the Police? That needs to be investigated too!

    • Anonymous says:

      The Land Rovers were a donation from Dart – they didn’t purchase them.

    • Anonymous says:

      … The Land Rovers are not new, they are used and were a donation to the Volunteer Special Constabulary.

      • Anonymous says:

        understood….but when since has it has become the volunteer special constabularies job to set up and execute speed traps along south sound as well as linford pierson in said donated vehicles?

        • Anonymous says:

          Speed trap on LP Hwy? It’s usually just a cop dozing with the A/C on. No chance of trapping anyone. The one day they were not present a dark green Honda will illegal muffler drove in the opposite lane overtaking everyone, this vehicle belongs only on the racetrack not the public Hwy. It is public nuisance and where are the enforcers?

  30. Allar says:

    I am so sick and tired of saying that this COP needs to go and I mean now has got to be the time. How much is our leaders going to put up with. Then they put Kurt Walton up to be the briefing guy. I will bet my last dollar that if it was the Queen of England visiting Baines would have been center stage. We as Caymanians are so fool that we allow the British to continue there age old conker and divide.

  31. Anonymous says:

    So lemme get this straight. Shortly after the break in last year which a large quantity of drugs we’re stolen from the same back yard, the RCIP got a raise in pay. Instead of buying better cameras(since they claim the cameras don’t work according to them) they somehow got a raise for their incompetence. Now this happens… just give them another raise. Thats how this works right?

  32. Anonymous says:

    Interesting how Baines always parades out the “token” Caymanian in these incidences…

    He is like Shaggy, “wasn’t me”

    Can’t the Governor see by now that continuing to cover his a$$ and his incompetence is making her look week and incompetent as well??..

    By the way where is our Premier and MLA’s? Are they still cowering in fear of mother England??

  33. Anonymous says:

    Bernie Bush is looking out for our best interest and because he’s UDP lots of people fighting him down……. What a flipping mess this place in

  34. Anonymous says:

    Its just past midnight and I’m super tired as hell….. Someone please tell me this is not real and that I’m only dreaming, I will check CNS back tomorrow to see if this is still here.

  35. Ro says:

    Then stop spending money on new cars whilst being aware of the condition of the station that like taking a loan out on a new car when your in the bank for losing your house where do you expect to keep the criminals you pick up? in the trunk?!

  36. MI6 in 345 says:

    Eric Bush as Chief Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs is answerable to the country on the latest cock up with CCTV cameras purchased from his friends over at Security Centre Ltd.

    How did he get his new post in London because it clearly wasn’t based on achieving success or getting value for money in his current role?

  37. Sharkey says:

    Did the broken down fishing boat leave yet to go back fishing ?

  38. Sharkey says:

    Next they will be stealing the police out of the station.

  39. Anonymous says:

    Pathetic.

  40. Fred the Piemaker says:

    “officers are being posted on round-the-clock shifts to watch the yard constantly” – highly trained officers who don’t notice people climbing over the wall and taking impounded bikes? Come on. Does Mr Ennis honestly expect anyone to believe this crap? Lets pass lightly over the fact that, having lost all those drugs, they just have decided to secure the yard, or even that having then lost the first installment of bikes they may have done something about the rest. How difficult is it to secure an impounded motorbike, even in a car park, for heavens sake. When it gets this bad you have to assume that not even the Keystone cops could be this incompetent – it has to be intentional.

  41. Anonymous says:

    Why do we have a police service and not a police force anymore

  42. Anonymous says:

    Don’t worry mon, soon come, soon come…

  43. Anonymous says:

    “The security for this area has been a problem for us…” Hello, it’s the back of the flippin’ police station for Pete’s sake… what the hell is going on this country man!?

  44. Anonymous says:

    I hope RCIPS isn’t going to buy new equipment from the security centre???? Maybe an investigation should take place on how does security centre get government contracts without bidding?? Immigration, Glass House, the housing of the Cubans to name a small few….oh yea can’t forget the container with the drugs. Anytime things happen, it gets brushed under the rug. Anytime a so called government officials’ interest in the company it goes quiet. Ezzard got a big mouth why isn’t he looking into this??? XXXXXX I think some explaining needs to be brought forward

    • Ambassador of Absurdistan says:

      Just Another day in Absurdistan

    • Anonymous says:

      you for got one of Security Centers largest contracts with government…The Northward Prison Security Upgrades. Not only were they handed the contract but no other security vendor can do any works there without it going though Security Center. There is something very suspicious going on. I do not see a bid for CCTV at the police station on the Central tenders website…doubt we will…the will just pay security center to fix there own crap.

    • Anonymous says:

      you forgot one of Security Centers largest contracts with government…The Northward Prison Security Upgrades. Not only were they handed the contract but no other security vendor can do any works there without it going though Security Center. There is something very suspicious going on. I do not see a bid for CCTV at the police station on the Central tenders website…doubt we will…the will just pay security center to fix there own crap.

  45. Anonymous says:

    “21st century policing”….that’s too funny!

  46. james says:

    hehehehehehehehehehehehe you couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.

  47. Richard Wadd says:

    “No extra cash”, “not enough personel”, “faulty equipment” …
    If I had a Manager who produced half as many ‘excuses’ as the COP, either he’d quit or I’d fire his a**.
    Perhaps if less of the RCIP buget was being spent to facilitate the significant amount of ‘officers’ who are attending the Law School (full time) when they should be on the job …
    I’m not against furthering one’s education, but is this a perk in the contract when we hire recruits?
    Why are we spending Taxpayers money to educate them when our resources are so limited?

  48. Anonymous says:

    I wonder when the Auditor General is going to investigate the CCTV agreement and whether or not the people is getting value for money.

  49. Anonymous says:

    This is TOO MUCH!! Baines MUST resign!! Where else in the world would the Chief’s job continue to survive repeated failures of the Department he heads??? Excuses, excuses!!

    If H.E. does not require his resignation maybe SHE should GO TOO!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      It seems that the thief or thieves knew that the time was right and that the cameras was not working either. It is certainly a risky place to steal from unless one have the right assistance. Also someone posted that Police are attending school. I would think that this is not true unless they are paying for that out of their own pockets, as when they are finished they will be Lawyers and not Cops. In fact when applying for a Police job they should have good passes in school we should not have to provide them with training and education especially if they are coming from overseas they should be coming here fully experienced.

      • Anonymous says:

        Believe me they need to go to Law School to learn the Laws. I know Law better than some of them. You actually think 6 months is enough time to learn all our laws and then no more learning after that? What happens when new laws are passed? If someone comes from another country, they need to learn the Laws of Cayman. Cayman Laws and UK Laws are not the same so how do you purpose that they do their job without training in Cayman Law?

    • Anonymous says:

      Wasn’t me, it was those Cayman lads working at the station..blame them..Helen has my back on this one..:)

    • Anonymous says:

      I think we all should go and leave the Islands to it. If in a few years, Caynan hasn’t turned the government, corruption, police, and everything else around, then we come back.
      This should be from the Governor down, let’s all take a two year sabbatical.

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