Police to clamp down on motorbike mayhem
(CNS): The motorbike mayhem that led to a significant number of complaints to the RCIPS this weekend is a priority for the police, the new commissioner has stated. He said that although the police are dealing with two murder inquiries, the traffic department would not neglect this issue because the police needed to “get a tactical grip” on what was going on “really quickly” and put a stop to it, as the riders were endangering themselves and others. Derek Byrne said he had viewed CCTV footage and said it was “disturbing” to see what happened on the roads Sunday.
The police had received numerous complaints on Sunday after dozens of riders on assorted road and off-road bikes, both legal and illegal, were reportedly causing havoc around Grand Cayman, riding dangerously, weaving in and out of traffic, pulling wheelies and running red lights.
While Sunday saw the mainly young men on the bikes out in greater numbers, this is not the first time that the police have dealt with public concerns about groups of riders ignoring road safety laws, riding in packs without lights, not wearing crash helmets and causing not only a public nuisance but a real danger.
But Commissioner Byrne said the police were putting together a plan to deal with the reckless and dangerous activities, as he warned about the possibility of the riders killing themselves or an innocent driver or pedestrian.
While he accepted that there was a road safety education element to the problem, he said the police needed to try to seize the bikes and prosecute people as quickly as possible. Officers are examining the existing legislation to make sure that they had the power to do what was needed.
He accepted that it was a police enforcement matter, as he said his officers are on the front line regarding public safety and the RCIPS had received many complaints about the issue. He said the danger was self-evident when groups of young men were out of control on high-powered, sometimes off-street bikes.
Echoing comments that had been made last year by Deputy Commissioner Kurt Walton, who had called for a ban on the importation of certain types of bikes, Byrne said he was meeting with the collector of customs to discuss the importation issues. But he also said he was hoping the public might be able to help the police find where the off-road and dirt bikes are being hidden to help them prosecute the offenders.
…”deal with the reckless and dangerous activities, warned about the possibility of the riders killing themselves or an innocent driver or pedestrian”… Yeah because this doesn’t happen everyday with CAR DRIVERS on the island, but don’t worry the trusty ROADBLOCK will stop all the drinking and driving/speeding/texting and driving/improper merging and reckless overtaking…smh.
We all see these idiots day in day out… how is it the cops have such a hard time controlling them? They don’t care, that’s why.
Outpost street and fairbanks road on any given day sees these noisy bikes racing up and down, yet how many police patrols do we see? Its easy to catch them, truth is RICPs too afraid or lazy.
Whilst driving last night on my way home, one of these young men nearly ran towards my car as he lost control of wheeling (whatever you call it). Had it not been for all if the light poles on the road, I honestly would not have seen him very well as he had no lights on. I personally think this is very dangerous and God forbid a fatality occurs.
You actually just need to patrol and pull people over for breaking traffic laws. That’s the reason these bikers don’t care. Cops never pull over when cars park in the middle of the road on a double line – they just drive right around and continue on to who knows where. Start enforcing the traffic laws and things will start to fall in place. I feel like the cops actually think traffic citations are below them. They want more money? HERE IT IS.
Stopping on the double yellow lines in the middle of the road to wait for a safe time to turn right is not illegal.
Traffic Control Regulations 2012 section 11.1.f and 11.2.f
http://www.dvdl.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/9508095.PDF
The “Cayman” Compass editorial was predictably hilarious. Suddenly (roll of drums), committing a road traffic offense is deemed as indicative of being a “criminal”. Crikey, so if I’d been nabbed for giving my 911SC some welly on a certain U.K. motorway before exporting it to Cayman years ago I’d have been labelled as a likely “criminal sort” by the brainboxes at the Compass? My goodness, such ideas they have!
Traffic offences are crimes. If you are convicted of a crime, you are a criminal.
No insurance, no licence…..crush these bike… simply is that and it would stop people breaking in police stations.
Why not turn this negative into a positive? Why not organize and publicize this sport and make it into another Event like Pirates Week, Carnival or other Festivals? Organize, publicize, train, protect, promote make it Legit!This is a growing sport with an audience that can bring in $$. Now, that’s a language Cayman understands! The Police, Community and Bikers can make this a great, fun Sport, instead of a nuisance. RParson
To all the numb nuts out there on two wheels that think the traffic laws of the Cayman Islands don’t apply to them.
Stupid is always expensive, frequently painful and quite often fatal. While the fatalities are hard on the surviving family members it does tend to clean up the gene pool and improve the human species as a whole. All the rest of us can hope for is that you don’t take any of our family members with when you go. If you are going to be dumb you need to be tough and if you continue to push the limit you will find it.
If the concern is that arresting them on the road could provoke a dangerous car chase, then why doesn’t RCIPS a) seize every road illegal bike they see parked around island – road bikes with no plates are as common as dirt bikes b) just look at Facebook and YouTube – these idiots film themselves committing the offences (and with considerably higher definition video than RCIPS CCTV – so little issue over ID). How difficult can this be?
The commissioner’s statement is disturbing. They are researching the laws? What? They are supposed to already know the laws they are assigned to enforce. His solution is to ban importation? Seems like an admission he can’t enforce the traffic laws. In places where there is enforcement, these biker problems are minimal. Why won’t he enforce the laws we have? (aside from the fact they apparently aren’t familiar with them.) Lastly, if the helicopter was filming the problem, where were the rest of the 300+ police. Why didn’t they immediately put out a couple of armed roadblocks? It looks they saw the number of bikers and were afraid of them. His resume made him look like a tough guy, but now all he can think of is to put a committee together to come up with a “plan.” What the hell? When you see criminals, go after them! I’m afraid we have got another English police bureaucrat. Governor and FCO, you have to do better. managing the police is you only important duty here and you keep screwing it up.
Dear RCIPS. Please learn to look up Instagram posts by “#” and simply look up “#345BikeLife”… There you will see on full display the names and faces of about 70% of Sunday’s culprits.
You can pay me in cash. Thanks.
too easy and sensible…..rcips/ppm would prefer to spend months reviewing laws and taking about plans for plans……
Informer??
Yep, dat’s me bobo! Call me what you want, at least I’m not breaking the law and endangering the lives of others! *deuces*
9:04, Not really actually, if you put your illegal activities in a public forum for the entire world to see then YOU (the culprit) are telling the police to come and get you. Just like if you get caught breaking the law you have no one to blame but yourself.
It’s always going to be difficult for the police to do the job when they are choosing not to follow the basic rules themselves. Stopping on the double yellows outside Casanova to go and pick up lunch, jumping red lights, using correct lanes and indicating. All simple stuff and if they don’t do it…
spot on…i have never seen a cop car use its indicators….
Just get a couple of cars up to Rum Point Drive on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday Monday. They race along the length of RPD at break neck speeds, pulling wheelies into on coming traffic and creating mayhem.
One road in, the same road out, please tell me how this can continue to happen?
Somebody needs to get a grip of NS police and get them doing their damn jobs properly. Get their fat behinds out of their cars, get police bikes and cycles up here and stop them from speeding in and speeding the hell out again without patrolling the area properly.
On RPD alone, eight break-ins recently, speeding motor bikes and cars, lunatic truck drivers, unapproachable, speeding and incompetent police officers.
What a damn mess!
So true.
The new signs up in the eastern districts that say “Watch out for motorbikes” are sending a mixed message. They seem to legitimise the bike riders and essentially wave a chastising finger at ordinary motorists.
“Mayhem” is not the word! “Lawless”!! They are a law onto themselves and nothing is being done! Punks! What police?? HAHAHA they are one in the same! Unfortunately new Commissioner, you will discover you don’t have much to work with! These police suit up and go out looking like they could fight ISIS but unlike their dress they are arrogant, disrespectful and unprofessional! A disgrace! Do ya job police and show some respect to the community who is paying your bills, you have NOTHING to be arrogant about! Trust me!
Poor officers have to show alot of tolerance. Because these unruly young people we have today are very aggravating.
The Court just convicted two officers after an island wide chase from East End to town; now, the public is crying for the Police to stop the cyclists.
Good luck
Stop talking and start doing! Actions will speak for themselves
New Sherriff in town .Commissioner Bryne can expect the publics input on street locations & house numbers where these biker fools reside , which I’ll be happy to extend to the RCIPS. Consider it done
Dear Mr. Commissioner Byrne, providing that the police records have been kept. There should be evidence to show that the organizer of Sunday’s ride has made numerous attempts to receive help from RCIP to unsure that the road codes and safety of the riders be kept with the presence of the RCIP, THIS WAS REFUSED. The organizer also has asked for a road to be closed once a year to host this event, THIS WAS REFUSED. The organizer also has met with dozes of local companies to seek a area to host this even, THIS WAS REFUSED. Whether you simple minded people believe or not, this is a sport. A sport that has grown over the pass 4 years. We now have people coming from overseas to take part and watch this event, which is bringing revenue for the country. I can agree that some people who have took part has been disrespecting the road codes but this is because there is no help from the RCIP. In regards to the waste track in brakes, I think you should propose to the bikers to meet to have a discussion on how this waste track lot can be available to us. I believe if there was a place for these kind of sports to be held it will limit the problem.
“The organizer also has met with dozes of local companies to seek a area to host this even, THIS WAS REFUSED.”
So what?
Why is anyone else obligated to accommodate you?
Bullfighting is a sport too. Guess what – if I ask around for someone to host my bullfights, or request the RCIP to close the streets so that I can run them through the town like they do in Pamplona, I imagine that my requests to accommodate my sport will be REFUSED.
Now, whether you simple minded people like it or not, bullfighting is a sport. Nude bathing and swimming are also sports enjoyed by millions of people in places other than Cayman, and which places decide to accommodate them.
I want my bullfight ring and my nude beach NOW!
Downhill skiing is also a sport. I asked the CIG to give me permission to run a snowblower on the side of the landfill and you know what happened? I was REFUSED.
Seems like some things are just not a good fit for a small island with few main roads.
……..another closed minded Caymanian.
Closed minded?
Not at all. I am your ally. We should work together to have our sports accommodated here. You get Prospect on Sunday for your motorcycles, and I get to run bulls through Georgetown on Saturday. That is how we compromise.
We just need to persuade everyone else to agree with us.
First off its a bit rich calling people simple minded when you struggle to spell simple words *ensure * past ….have not has etc etc .. Secondly , you or the organizer may have sought permission for last Sundays event , but what about the Sunday before that ? Or the one before or before or any of the Sundays in the last couple of years where anybody like me who lives on the the stretch of road from hurleys to bodden town can testify to the same pack of morons ( albeit in less numbers ) hooning up and down the road , overtaking on one wheel , undertaking and just being a hazard to every road user . I rode bikes for years , while most of Sundays riders were still sitting in there own mess and I used to ride Moto x . We would take the bikes via trailer to a off road track . Now if someone was to donate a piece of land , lets say Mr dart , then some builders got together to build a track I would get behind that 100 percent . I would help any way I can . But if they did all that do you honestly believe the clowns that ride up and down on a Sunday would not ride on the road anymore ? Why would anyone so dumb to think its ok to stunt ride while wearing no helmet have any respect for anyone else’s safety when they obviously think so little of their own ? A couple of Sundays ago one kid of about 15 years old was in front of me on one wheel ( no helmet ) when he twitched and dropped the front wheel ..he managed more by luck than by skill to stay on and thanks to the fact that I had kept my distance I was able to slow down quickly enough not to hit the back of him , I was in a ford F250 …who do you think would come off worse in that fight ? Believe me if I was in my other car with my children in it I will not take any evasive action that may put them.in danger to save your clown ass.
Moto GP is a sport , Moto x is a sport , superbikes are a sport. Riding like a twat while your mate films you to stick on YouTube isn’t a sport , it isn’t even a hobby …its the quickest way to an early grave.
Cry me a river! No-one else’s fault, there were enough riders to have turned away everyone breaking the law, police your own cr@p and leave the Police to do what they are paid for, and that’s not babysitting. You bought a bike with no-where to ride it, don’t expect someone to build you a track, or donate land. I’d love a jet car, but until I’ve got a 10 mile straight I’m not buying one. BTW it’s not a sport, sports have rules and goals, the only rule I saw was how much of an arse you could be on the road, so OK maybe it is a sport it that’s the goal, and by the looks of it there were quite a few gold medal winners last Sunday!
9:49, you or the organizer has the job of ensuring that all the riders obey the law and if they don’t, then you stop them from riding. Its called taking responsibility for your / their actions, its no one else’s fault but yours / organizers and the riders. If its a sport (currently illegal) that is growing as you say, then why don’t you all purchase the land and build a strip so you can put all your lives in danger privately and leave everyone else out of your moronic antics?
If all of those requests were refused then, perhaps they definitely should not have continued with the event until proper procedures and protocols were in place. You can’t just do what you want just because… there are laws and regulations to abide by that not only protect others but protect yourself as well. God forbid we lose another young life due to carelessness on the road.
They wouldn’t close the street? I can’t believe that – they close the street for anyone at the drop of a hat. As the poor drivers trying to get home after work find out.
Just last night on the WB end of the bypass extension, three of these miscreants were riding on one wheel behind me. They followed me to the left towards Batabano Plaza (again on ONE WHEEL) until I sopped to turn onto Mount Pleasant road. At that point, all three had to suddenly brake to avoid hitting me, and ONE ran to the RIGHT of me to avoid the collision. As they had only flashlights for lights, and the lights could not be seen when they are on one wheel, what if I had simply turned right while the IDIOT was running around me to the right and collected them in my door panel??
I have submitted dozens of videos of this activity from my dashcam where the faces were clearly visible, yet the activity goes on. I was told by a WB officer the reason why it continues to go on. It is because the act of catching them will cause them to wreck and be seriously injured or killed, which will put the RCIPS in a “bad light” when the parents of the miscreant loses their “precious baby” who was only out “having a little fun” on the roads!
Parents – WAKE UP! Your “precious baby” is out on the roads endangering themselves and the motoring public with their “little fun stunts” and will eventually be seriously injured or die as a result! Take away these illegal bikes before the police do after a serious “accident!” Your “precious baby’s” life will be the one you save!! Too many young thugs are killing each other as it is. We don’t need to add the deaths from illegal motorbike fools to the list of crying and grieving families.
“called for a ban on the importation of certain types of bikes, Byrne said he was meeting with the collector of customs to discuss the importation issues”
So instead of the RCIPS doing their jobs and enforcing the law, they are looking at banning motorbikes from being imported? WTF do these assh*oles actually do all day and night???!
Get the 2 cops with itchy taser fingers back on the road instead of behind a desk!
how many were caught at the weekend????….the answer tells you everything you need to know about the RCIPS.
Forget asking for more money btw…. until the force starts doing the basics of their jobs….
Wait… “He said that although the police are dealing with two murder inquiries, the traffic department would not neglect this issue”
Because the Traffic Cops help the detectives with murder investigations?
Hahahahaha! That’s your excuse??
So what is the bigger issue, the illegal bikes on the island or that the riders are endangering themselves?!
Riding a bike is a hobby performing tricks and stunts is a part of the “bike life”. As the bikers call it. For some riding a bike is their life.
I think one way to solve the issue with the bikes on the road is to actually create a place where the bikers can ride and preform tricks without endangering other people on the road. As for the illegal bikers the RCIPS needs to actually do their job and check identification when they come in contact with certain bike riders.
I saw this on “Chips” & “Starsky & Hutch”. Put all coppers on notice that they will be working Sunday or on call. As sson as the “Gang” cut loose from West Bay call all the cops in and get the helicopter in the air to track them. start setting up road blocks as the helicopter directs. Them net them ……destroy the bike and put them all in one cell. in the cell will be a TV playing only symphony or orchestra videos.
Commissioner Byrne, If they kill themselves then so be it. Protect us.
these guys are not hard to catch, they are out all the time… ESPECIALLY on Sundays around dusk. You almost have to be looking to purposely not find them in order to miss them.
The dreadlocked punk on the red and white dirt bike with 345 emblazoned on the side, green backpack, no muffler, itchy right hand and silver nazi helmet. You can hear his colourful approach for several miles. He’s easy to find if there were cops outside. Not subtle at all.
well this perfectly describes Devonte “Dookie/Dookz” McLaughlin lol
you don’t know shit stop stilling wrong info!!!!
Seriously, all the cops have to do is drive between Bodden Town and West Bay all day long and they will see multiple illegal dirt bikes driving in between traffic while popping wheelies. This isn’t rocket science, ram these fools off the road then arrest them.
They don’t need to drive, they need to park and observe normal routine chaos for 24 hrs. It’s never been done.
thats funny because I saw one of these idiots yesterday at rush hour in front of everyone doing his stupid wheelies……the thing is he assumes we are all law abiding people but the next time I am going to open my door and that idiot will then need tax paying medical assistance……
My concern is “they will ban bikes to prevent this” oh…so we all suffer, including people who would ride these bikes legally.
I see.
Yup. Suck it up. This island is too small for motorbikes. They were banned until the mid nineties, and they should be banned again. The only people who ride them are kids with too much testosterone or old men who fear they’re losing theirs.
To be fair, the three people that ride these things peacefully on their private tree-lined rural estates should blame the hundreds of rogue street punks and Cirque du Soleil Evil Kneivel riders that ruined it for them.
Answer this: If the police received numerous complaints than why the hell didn’t they go out there and see what was going on and put a stop to it from than!!!
I called 911 five times over 3 hours on Sunday. The single cruiser that was dispatched after 15 mins approached with full lights flashing and scattered a noisy collective of lightless dirt bikers long before contact, the cop proceeded to make a wrong turn and continued southbound avoiding the area I had explicitly specified only to have bikes return there 5 minutes later and wheelie unmuffled for the rest of the night. Helicopter cruised overhead and didn’t even stop. There was no visible engagement. It would be very interesting to FOI the tickets that were written on Sunday (if any). The 911/RCIPS strategy was totally ineffectual.
When will someone get those idiot one wheelers off the road, I’m sick of calling 911 reporting damn dangerous wheelies and driving on pavements and through traffic on one wheel. A whole group of them, police know who they are, they must be waiting till they kill someone I guess,greentrials bike and p pot helmet with no brain under it , should be easy to spot I’m sure, they even have Instagram with clips of the riding illegal on the roads, need more evidence stillor waiting for the fetality still I guess right?
I certainly welcome this news. I live on Smith Road, and I am making this comment at 3:39 am in the morning because I have spent most of the night listening to motorbikes racing ip and down the road, and along Bobby Thompson highway into the early morning hour. When I looked, this was occurring with no lights on. The ambulance uses this road, and many families reside on smith road.
Outpost Road to CCC around Academy football is a well-established race/stunt circuit as well.
This guy is a joke. Try tell him what time it is. This Cayman just get to know the people and you will know who has what. Why do the police need a bigger budjet? They really don’t. 300 sworn officers, shit! What I could do with just 250 would surpass them. I would have the bullshit task force, traffic, I don’t give a shit if you roll a joint, focus on dealers unit, marine enforement and the community policing. I would serve warrants to people on Island, start issueing tickets and making that bigger budjet cause i could go around cayman and give more tickets in a week than all 300 combined
busy guy
busy & illiterate! **budget**!!
Idiot
*budget
To the “Anonymous” writer at 9.28pm….If you can do better, maybe you should. If that guy is a joke, then show yourself doing better. Don’t hide behind an “Anonymous” post. Get out and prove yourself. Right now the only thing that’s busy is your fingers. When means absolutely nothing in the end. Don’t be all talk, let’s see some action. You talk a large number…let’s see it add up.
Er, either you are being a bit sardonic or being hilariously ironic.