Governor begins search for top cops
Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Ennis (left) and Police Commissioner David Baines
(CNS): The recruitment process for a new RCIPS commissioner of police and a deputy commissioner has begun and the governor’s office has placed adverts in the local print media and posted the vacancies on the government website. With mounting political and public criticism, the current CoP, David Baines, submitted his resignation last month and is expected to leave his post next month, a year earlier than his contracted term, though the controversial commissioner will be receiving his full salary.
The premier has stated that he now believes the hunt for a new head for the RCIPS will be extremely difficult as Baines was the third commissioner in succession to be driven out of office but this time against the backdrop of significant complaints and criticisms of the police service in general from both the public and opposition members.
Accrding to the advertisement for the job, it pays between CI$109,932 and $130,668 per year as well as a non-contributory pension plan and free health care.
The post, which involves managing a police service of 450 officers and civilian staff and a budget of more than $36 million per year, requires “experience, judgement and cultural awareness”, and the successful candidate must have “proven ability to direct policing operations in an ethnically diverse community through a diverse police force”, the advertisement states.
The post also calls for candidates with an excellent track record in delivering change management, countering serious crime and building citizen confidence.
The governor is also seeking to replace Steve Brougham, one of two deputy commissioners in the RCIPS, who is leaving in September as planned. The deputy’s post calls for much the same experience and expertise as the commissioner’s job but pays between $91,000 and $115,000.
When Baines leaves, Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis will be acting commissioner until the recruitment process is complete. It is not clear if Ennis will apply for the top job but he is only one of the few local senior officers that have the required experience and qualifications.
However, opposition MLA Arden McLean has filed motion in the Legislative Assembly, supported by Ezzard Miller, regarding the police management in which he has called for government to make it a requirement that a Caymanian hold the post of CoP in future. The motion is expected to be debated in the LA next week.
If Caymanians are now a minority of the public (and the police force) then why are courts and jails so predominantly Caymanian – if indeed it is the local cops who are “giving their friends a break”?
That cheap reverse-psychology is now flawed since locals are now being outnumbered.
So, if the same argument is still applied, there should now be more Local cops hired to ensure the Jamaicans, Brits etc do not give their own a break when they are stopped along South Sound road or on Eastern Avenue etc.
Generally, the British community here tend not to shoot anyone in the face or pull a firearm on police and go on the run. That may be why.
We often blame the person in charge, and the other managers take no responsibility. Is it not time to evaluate , who they have to work with and their effectiveness? The system will not change until this is done. They often get away free like a bird. Always pointing the finger at the person at the top. The person at the top can’t do it all alone. Time for senior managers to take responsibility and they will slack off, because the culture is to blame the person at the top. It will be hell and all politics if the person at the top try to remove the slackers, aha aha.
Could those two MLAs who demand “Caymanian” to be the main qualification explain this further? Is it to be a bred and born Caymanian, a status holders with Cayman connection, a status holder with no Caymanian connection….???
Stop the nonsense! Get somebody who is actually qualified and then make sure that he/she is held accountable and stop interfering when the new top dog is trying to get rid of useless dead weight at RCIP, whether they are British, Jamaican or CAYMANIAN
I think we have had our fill of the british police. Apart from that I agree with you.
anon 1131 we just had one how did that work out for us? We are having major crime issues and serious money and staffing is being invested in hte police force and caymanians have no say. The governor controls the police we just pay the bill.
I hope you ever gets appointed is bringing a big shovel to move all that crap that needs to be moved out.
Just appointing a new top dog won’t do. RCIP needs to be cleaned top to bottom. Enough of Jamaican cops turning a blind eye to Jamaican style driving and worse. Enough of Caymanian cops turning a blind eye towards their useless relatives and friends.
Maybe we could ask Steven Segal?
Take a look at the high crime in Nassau, Bahamas and then think again, Cayman, about who is going to be “driving this bus”. By the mid 1980’s, the police were recruiting from “over the hill” – from the worst crime filled areas. If you needed the police, the first thing you were asked : “are you Bahamian”? Involved with drug dealing and corruption, the justice system in a shambles, rapes, murders, assaults on tourists – more dangerous now than ever – see where this is going? Do not allow the politicians to be involved in the recruitment process. We want to wipe out crime – not enable it.
Going to have to pay more to get anyone capable of fixing this big mess.
Wow talk about political interference! Ezzard I normally agree with you but this job is too important to make nationality a qualification, period!
start with a clean slate and hire from UK and get it over with and give the next CoP power to get rid of any Jamaican officer that needs to regardless of cries about discrimination, they’re the only people making that claim yet they dominate every government office and make up majority of work permit holders AND status holders, so discrimination is highly unlikely.
I hear you clowns talking about UK Commisioner to fill this vacancy, so what about Canada and the USA. The U.S have more qualified Police Commissioners than the UK would ever see. That is what got us in the mes we are in now, inexperience.
Are you deluded. This is not what has got us in the mess we are in. Try taking over a police force that is less than educated, people who cannot be fired because they are well connected, politicians who interfere and only interested in preserving their own family, corruption and nepotism and you just may scratch the surface of this pit.
80% of Toronto Police make over $100,000/yr. CND plus benefits, and other large CND cities are similar, so I can’t see why any of them would come to Cayman, other than to vacation in their SMB condos.
When was the last time you checked the value of the CAN$ against the CI$? Now if you made reference to the sterling pound then you might have made a sensible statement.
We have always had UK commishs and they have all been good men for the exception of the most recent ones who am sure came with the best intentions but they are not a one man army and are only as good as the men under them.
Therefore, if we looked to hire good honest officers and decline the corruption especially from Jamaica we may well have a force of men and women to be proud of.
Imagine, one day you see some Jamaican lady cleaning Foster’s supermarket the next day they are wearing a police uniform with the big hoop and weave. Corrupt Jamaican police are for the greater part, the blame for the lawlessness in their own country, so can they be expected to uphold the laws in the Cayman Islands?
Barbados have given us some very good cops in the past and so did Cayman, Belize, Jamaica and the UK so please look at the big picture and begin by proper screening and selecting men and women with integrity, reputable backgrounds which must include a good, solid and proven academic report.
When you put cops on the beat that are more corrupt and ignorant than the people they go to arrest then you have big problems. When these same cops conduct investigations, do one honestly believe they will conduct and produce an honest investigation….and the list goes on…….
Why not just pick one of the know it alls from a call in show? The seem really smart…. and tough. Leather tough!
But whatever the new CoP does, his men must never arrest a talk show host for drunk, disorderly behavior or for beating up a woman.
Or a Grand Court judge. Or tap the Chief Justice’s phone. Or deputise employees to become spies within their organisations. The UK perfected these dark arts and used them to control the largest empire in the known history of the world. Caymanians use them too because they know damn well that the appointed officials who tell them not to are FULL OF IT! Caymanians don’t want a perfect society where no one ever abuses their position because they have themselves been abused in the most polite way for centuries and they realise that it is an unachievable goal to expect power never to be exercised for the wrong reasons. They just want a police force that is not mocked on a daily basis as a matter of pride in country and that provides protection from serious criminals whether they are violent or otherwise. That is it. Any questions?
It’s not my fault. It was that nasty big boy who made me do it. Grow up.
Or frame a Deputy Commish?
Yep. I have one. Are you willing to cover this position and any future positions with home grown talent?
You will probably want to do this quickly and will possibly have no choice.
How about someone meaner than the last few? At least meaner looking. Someone large.
Hope there is a good top cop in the UK willing to take the moaning crap from the politicians and other ne’er-do-wells.
I think we have had our fill of British cops and I don’ t me a C.O.P’s only ..How about someone from the USA or Canada?..The British still have that colonialistic mentality and just don’t get it nor are they effective.
I believe too that a British Governor (since we are saddled with them too) would be a little more apt to hold someone from somewhere else other than their fellow Englishmen a bit more accountable
You may find that the word has been out there for a while and British cops do not see Cayman as an attractive proposition or a fair place to work.
I hope all the politicians who have caused this are aware of how many other senior officers, including Caymanians, are leaving the service because of the fear of political influence over the RCIPS.
They’ll soon be run off the island anyway – like every one before them
Who the hell would want that job? Regardless of the pay, power and perks. The only certainty is that if you do your job you will get hounded out. Dont do your job as people want, you get hounded out. Go out and foil robberies yourself, you will still get ousted.
No thanks!
Do us a favor ex driftwood, go and comment on news sites for your new country of residence.
#obsessed
Tut tut. Let’s be nice.
In all fairness, these are all valid points. Everything seems to be pointing towards Cayman sorting its own problems out and stepping up to the plate for once.
Ex Driftwood so in Cayman crime is escalating and Government gave baines all he asked for as we had no choice it is decided by the governor and the UK. How can you then say he did his job?
baines should re-apply….
he’s the obvious choice as he did nothing wrong first time around….
Baines didn’t do anythimg wrong but he sure as hell didn’t do anything right either.
Cultural awareness. Kurt Walton, look no further, no reason to bring in an expat when we have a skilled and experience officer right here.
Frank Owens for Deputy Commissioner. Only difficulty might be in talking either of these gentlemen into taking these contentious positions.
Ha ha what planet are you on
Since the flavor of the day is combining offices to achieve savings, can’t they just put Chuckie in charge of both Customs and Police?
There. Done and done. Where’s my headhunter commission?
Have you read the Chuckiegate transcript?