MLA files bumper complaint against CoP
Bernie Bush, West Bay MLA
(CNS): West Bay MLA Bernie Bush has filed a complaint with the home affairs ministry, the deputy governor’s office and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office under section 44 of the Public Service Management Law regarding the conduct of Police Commissioner David Baines. In his complaint, the opposition UDP member, who has frequently voiced his concerns on the floor of the Legislative Assembly about the CoP’s management of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, has listed twenty different issues that he said amounted not just to inadequate performance over time but misconduct.
Bush told CNS that no one, not even the commissioner, is above the law, after he sent his complaint to local government officials and Peter Hayes, the FCO’s overseas territories director in London.
The MLA began his long list of issues with the 43 criminal Summary Court cases that were never prosecuted after the statute of limitations expired. He said the commissioner failed to conduct an enquiry into why this had happened or take action against officers that had allowed their cases to lapse.
The final item on his list is the theft of police cars. Bush pointed to the failure of the commissioner to conduct any review or take any action against the police officers who lost an undercover vehicle in November 2012 and the failure of the RCIPS to own up to a number of other suspected thefts of police cars.
Covering a catalogue of events, from the recent theft of drugs from the police evidence locker at the George Town Police Station to the recruitment of an officer from Jamaica who was charged with murder, Bush also raised issues concerning Baines’ lack of action over the mismanagement of gunshot residue evidence, the unlawful search warrants used by his officers, the failure of officers to properly pursue drug case evidence and the necessary documents to support financial crime cases, as well as the number of police cars involved in accidents.
Bush pointed to specific cases but noted there had been many more where video or photographic evidence has gone missing or where tapes and camera cards have been recorded over.
He also raised the question of compensation payouts and said that more than $435,000 has been paid out in claims following complaints against police.
In the long list of various complaints, the MLA noted an ongoing and long-standing concern that the current police management is failing local officers, as many of them have left the RCIPS since Baines took office. Bush said Caymanians face discrimination and unequal salary scales compared to their UK counterparts and said no action had been taken in relation to the allegations.
Another complaint surrounds the failure in regards to succession planning for senior RCIPS officers, in particular the Air Support Unit. Bush said that the police hired a foreign helicopter pilot in 2015 who then required more training, but nothing had been done to find out why.
Bush’s list omitted the recent controversies over officers being accused of supplying a prosecution witness with drugs, although the commissioner had confirmed recently that those allegations were being investigated by the Bermuda Police Service. CNS understands, however, that no one has been suspended in connection to that case.
The complaint also excludes other concerns that have been raised in the past, such as the lack of action against an officer found in possession of his gun at the airport while on vacation. It also omits the issue that one of Baines’ subordinate officers conducted an internal enquiry into the commissioner after he ran over a robbery suspect with his own SUV following a daylight heist in George Town.
The threat of OMOV can make even Bernie B start saying something. Didn’t know Bernie could speak.
OMOV should save the West Bay candidates many thousands in appliances this coming campaign.
$435,000 in compensations paid by the police…? Bernie you forgot the $Millions paid out by your UDP boss…?
To GFL alone.
Bernie keep up the good work Baines need some heat up the a*s he is doing nothing and we are slowly turning to a country of crime. But stop that was the intent of Baines being here so long.
Like so many other MLAs in Cayman over the last 30 years, Bernie was a complete failure at all the jobs he was employed to do. The Legislative Assembly is one of these “employers of last resort”. Rather like the Civil Service, though there are very good employees in there as well and there are not very good ones in the LA.
There are many people in this world watching you, there are others wanting to do things for those in needs. whatever the circunstances are there are and will always be people at there causing problem and calling names, facts for the wrong reason.
Are we safe today as compare with 15 years ago?
You are right. We are not as safe, but them, that was always going to be a consequence of some of Mac’s status grants. You cannot simply import thousands of persons from some of the most crime ridden places on earth, and not expect some bad ones to get in.
Looking at the state of mental health treatment and the level of unreported crime back then, I would say the same.
Referendum time in June in the UK. This would be a good time for the Islands to jump on board and decide if self determination is the way forward.
Holy Sheet!!! I actually forgot this guy was in Government.
Every Caymanian should support Bernie in his effort to get rid of Baines. I can guarantee you if a Caymanian was the CoP he would be dismissed for the drugs stolen at the police station. It is a dereliction of duty when not one of the officers who was on duty at the time the drugs was stolen has been suspended or fired. The buck stop with Baines and he should be fired for the lack of responsibility. What is the Governor’s , Deputy Governor’s and Premier’s response to all of this?
Great job Bernie! I know you have the backbone to make a difference in Cayman. What I can’t seem to figure out is why you joined that ‘party’.
The other “Invisible Man” of WB. Maybe he is like some exotic plants that only flower every 20 years.
Tell us about Cartan Tours, Bernie.
How is that Stingray City floating restaurant plan coming along? Wonder who owned that boat?
its sitting in Governors Creek abandoned, smashed windows etc, any time the wing blows more that 30 kts she drags anchor, in the real world this would be considered vessel abandement and would be disposed off at the owners expense, Hey Mr. Baines if your reading might be a good way to show Mac Jr. who’s the boss.
What an amazing display of poor spelling.
Who knew that Bernie was still an MLA???
Me
When so many of the rank and file are bad apples there is only so much the Commissioner can do, short of firing half the force. Maybe Mr Bush should volunteer his services.
Is failure to secure a conviction in any particular case on the list of complaints?
yawn….bernie is just puppet of mac……
This may take years to get answers one way or the next!
Because it was all so good in 2009? Unequal pay has been dealt with in the salary reviews, which Baines went out on a limb for. (Bernie, do you not read CNS?) Every one gets paid on service and position. Look around the rest of the civil service. Let’s bring the helicopter into it, some West Bayers have an issue with that one, and there is an election – this whole thing about going for Baines has McKeeva’s signature on it, you can see it for what it is. All this is going to do is give to is tie up people reporting back who have better things to do. Bernie, you should really look hard at the structure and make up of the RCIPS command team Chief Inspectors and up. Over half are Caymanian born and increasing. Anyway it’s good to see you are on the ball. Or not. As most of this is old news and dealt with, or just clearly wrong in fact.
And anything with Bush’s signature has Jacans pushing his back….. him and Bernie gonna fall fall on their faces and guess who’ll be in charge? Not the British lol
Tell em Bernie.
What an interesting and inaccurate bunch of allegations. Obviously someone who has no idea of the circumstances of the majority of these allegations has decided that his seat may be under threat in a few months so is joining the usual rabble rousers in attacking a non caymanian who has probably done more good than his detractors.
Officers are disciplined if they transgress, if the file goes statute barred (sometimes whilst at the office of the DPP but I guess this doesn’t serve this particular attack), investigations are carried out, yes compensation does have to be paid out but you need to know if the officers involved were recruited by the current management or were inherited ( and maybe where they are from might be interesting), yes perhaps some officers from the UK were on a higher pay level than others but could that be due to the experience and/or specialist skills and that may also apply to officers from other places but again that won’t fit the conspiracy theory that some caymanians so appear to want to follow blindly. But then again why should anyone be surprised with that. Trial by Rooster and CNS appears to be the way forward chosen by a few but heaven help everyone if these two sources of information were thought to be the only ones worth listening to.
Who lied about the stolen evidence/drugs and other evidence from the secured container at the RCIPS compound? I am sure it wasn’t Bernie? People call a spade a spade and stop trying to do a facelift on incompetence. What has Baines done to improve the RCIPS? From hiring a murderer and paying him while he awaited trial he did. It is time for us to petition his you know what, and get him out of here, He and others, if going by performance should be gone.
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
Well done, Mr. Bush. This is what you were elected to do. I hope Alden publicly supports you because this so-called CoP has been nothing but a bane on our society since he arrived.
Seems like the only difference between the bad guys and the cops is that the cops wear uniforms
If you look closely you can see Mac pulling his puppet strings.
If Mac is pulling his who is pulling yours. At least we know what Mac Is Its better the enemy you know ?
The question is Do you feel safe???? you can sit back attack others character for merely questioning those in charge. Yet we have innocent people being victimized daily, robbers robbing with out masks from crowd town squares and large quantities of drugs from the main police station. The highest amount of police in the world per capita imported from jurisdictions noted for being extremely corrupt. But I see the deflection game works for some of us.
Thank GOD that there is someone brave enough to bell the cat. It is sad to know that once you aligned yourself with certain people,you are placed on the list of endangered species and that is why he has turned a blind eye to these catalog of events.
I think that those complaints should be charges . I have never heard of police loose his car before, not even in big city’s . Sound like Mr Bush is going to shake all the sand out of the bag.
My list of complaints against the inaction of the LA on many points, as well as the blatant vote buying and connivance in corruption is longer. And of course there are issues with those in the LA who just start working with a year until elections.
Wow, Mr. Bernie Bush has finally come out of hiding. I had forgotten that he is an elected member. Now if he would put some of this effort into the district of West Bay, where he is an elected member, then maybe more would get done for that district. It is funny, you don’t hear from these members until it is coming up on the last leg before elections. I do hope he is successful in getting something done, but put more effort in dealing with other issues in the district. They have to start earning their salary!! Just saying, don’t be a ghost for three years and come out now. We will see you soon walking the streets of West Bay Mr. Bush, elections around the corner, maybe an early one!!!
Keep quiet, Bernie brought this up before and was severely criticized…. Well done Bernie you will be re-elected along with the other CDP candidates come 2017.
David Baines for Premier! Cough Cough!!! Has he caught those 14 bad men he spoke about when he first arrived? Didn’t think so.
Bernie, please add the failure of the police to investigate allegations of corruption in relation to the cabinet status grants to your list. Thanks.
How stupid of you to suggest that MLA B. Bush add the status grants to his list. Did you forget that the governor sits as chair of our cabinet and the attorney general is also there to provide legal advice.
Please show me a Cabinet status grant certificate signed by the Governor.
Please show me the minutes of the no doubt hundreds of hours of meetings which resulted in the fair and legitimate grants to those thousands selected, and that show the Governor present at the deliberations.
Please show me an independent legal opinion confirming the legality of every grant.
Please let me know how it is that the involvement of the AG in Cabinet prevents people getting on a list for improper reasons.
Please explain to me why some persons with no, or little obvious connection to the Cayman Islands received grants.
Please let me know how some people with political connections appear to be able to live far above their means.
Also, wasn’t there something odd about some condos at a major resort?
Did stamp duty get paid?
many people do not quit organizations, they quit their bosses. The Civil Service has lost a number of good employees recently due to poor leadership going all the way to the top.
Mr. Manderson talks about the 14 that were terminated, however, he failed to release the stats on the hundreds of good ones who left on his watch.
I applaud you Bernie, perhaps more people need to start cataloguing the failures of these high level officials and demand action.
Mr. Mandersons ONLY concern with the civil service is protecting the expatriate worker and those who bow to all his whimsical request. He is not genuinely concerned about the greater civil service in general. I do applaud many of his initiatives but those are being done solely for the purpose of getting rid of long standing and hard working Caymanians and will be of no true benefit to locals.
Fred the Piper- stick to blowing your pipe. You must be in dream land to make such false statements about our Deputy Governor. Have you read about the many Caymanians being promoted and hired in the civil service?
Please lets get some facts before we post. I think you must be one those under performing civil servants who is shaking in their boots!
Exactly who are these good civil servants who are leaving??
Here is an interesting FOI if you, Bernie or Ezzard want to submit it (Finance Committee is just around the corner after-all).
How many Civil Servants left the service during the past 3 years for non-disciplinary reasons and what was the most recent performance evaluation score for each? To avoid the claim of personnel records and confidentiality, specify that the individuals can be identified by a number and not by name. That way, you get the facts straight from the Deputy Governor’s Office.
You can further ask how many left the RCIPS just this year. You see, behind all the marathons and photo ops, the Civil Service is slowly getting from bad to worse, unfortunately, it seems the public will not get the diagnosis until we have reached stage 4 and the cancer is everywhere.
As usual Mac is getting somebody else to do his dirty work for him. This is pure Mackeewa getting to Baines for being a part of Mac’s alleged UK conspiracy against him.
He bankrupted his last messenger so Bernie be careful what you wish for.
Wow! When you see the catalogue of issues all together, it definitely raises concerns. I had always felt that the case of the police officer who was hired and allowed to work with a homicide charge pending really demonstrated that something is wrong. I am happy that this action has been taken.
He vetted his officers. Got back ground checks on them from their country. The only thing he didn’t know was that those back ground checks were all false reporting. Has he learnt a lesson? If he had, he wouldn’t have put the rat to gaurd the cheese, or the fox to watch the hen house. Is he up for a knighthood next?