Two men arrested after fight at GT bar
(CNS): The police dealt with more problems of violence around licensed premises at the weekend after a fight outside a George Town nightclub landed one man in hospital and another two in the police cells. At around four o’clock on Saturday morning, 8 October, RCIPS officers responded to a report of a fight involving three men outside the Cotton Club on Shedden Road. One man who was bleeding heavily from injuries to his face was taken to hospital for treatment.
A 19-year-old man from Bodden Town and a 24-year-old man from George Town were arrested on suspicion of assault and taken into custody for the weekend before being placed on police bail. There was no indication from the RCIPS if weapons were involved.
Acting Police Commissioner Anthony Ennis has recently highlighted the violence in and around licensed premises and the failings in some cases of the owners and the security companies they employ in vetting who comes into their establishments and controlling the behaviour of patrons.
Last weekend, after the police made dozens of arrests, Ennis warned that the police were increasing their presence but they cannot continue to divert resources from the rest of the community to keep the peace at bars. He pointed to the “growing anti-social and dangerous activities” the police are finding at some licensed premises and places of entertainment.
“Some nightclubs do a good job discouraging these activities and excluding known persons of ill-repute from their premises, which they have a legal right and duty to do,” the acting senior cop stated. “Others, however, have not shown any interest in curbing these activities, while their premises continue to present a growing threat to public safety and their patrons, especially along the island’s tourist corridor.We will increase our visibility and presence in and around these premises, but we will also be engaging the relevant licensing authorities,” he stated.
“We cannot sacrifice valuable resources to police these premises at the expense of the greater community. We are further concerned about the level and standard of services provided by certain security personnel at certain establishments, and will be addressing this with a comprehensive and practical approach,” Ennis said, as he put licensees on notice and warned that people going bars and clubs with weapons would be prosecuted.
We had a similar issue many years ago in Sheffield, England…A local entrepreneur set up a security company and took in hard ex convicts and known thugs, gave them a home, job and made them security guards on bars and clubs around the city. The violence, drug pushing etc literally stopped over night. No wannabe drunk thug would challenge these guys…they were serious hard men who knew how to handle themselves. The police supported the venture and it help curb a big violence problem in the city back in the late 90’s. maybe not the answer here in Cayman but proved that thinking “out of the box” a little can actually work…
Sounds like tuff days are ahead for alot of us including some bars .
I repeat: make it a requirement of a liquor license that all parking areas surrounding a licensed establishment MUST be brightly lit. If we shine a bright light on such areas unrulely persons will stay away. If they do not, at least there will be clear evidence (CCTV) of what happened.
Bodden Town man in the news again! Are they really from BT, or diggers from elsewhere?
Every time people throw up stories about these people not being from here but somewhere else, and whilst some of that may be true, the greatest percentage of criminals in Northward is Caymanian. Pictures don’t match the words, and Cayman is in denial if they think it does.