Police chopper goes after drunk driver
(CNS): The police helicopter landed on the beach in North Side yesterday evening in order to nab a drunk driver, the RCIPS said today in a press release. With drunk driving causing major concerns for the traffic unit, the police appear to be using everything they have got to clamp down this Christmas on boozed-up motorists. The chopper moved into action to help net the latest drunk driver after a report from the public about a BMW driving erratically on Rum Point Road and stopping on the side of the road after a suspected collision.
Police said that the RCIPS helicopter was in the vicinity and responded to the scene as the ground patrol was still a few minutes away. Because the condition of the driver, who still appeared to be in the car, was of concern, the helicopter landed safely on a nearby stretch of beach and a member of the crew, who is a police constable, got out of the helicopter, which then took off again.
As the officer approached the car, the driver was hostile to him, made threats and was clearly intoxicated, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and making threats to kill, and taken into custody by responding uniform patrol officers. The helicopter landed briefly on the beach a second time so that the member of crew could re-board.
The 39-year-old man from George Town was found to have had a blood alcohol content of .225%. When he was searched, police also recovered a quantity of ganja and he was subsequently arrested for additional drug offences. He is currently in police custody.
During the same evening, officers arrested another person on suspicion of DUI, who was found to have a blood alcohol content of .248%, almost two and half times over the limit, continuing to fuel their concerns about the amount of alcohol motorists are consuming before getting behind the wheel and the danger that poses to them and other road users.
“The degree of intoxication we are continuing to see by some who are deciding to get behind the wheel continues to alarm us,” said Acting Chief Inspector Everton Spence, who has oversight for the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit.
However, he highlighted the fact that members of the public saw a person driving erratically and called 911. “Most people with such a high level of intoxication behave in an obvious way, and it is up to all of us to intervene and prevent them from harming themselves or others,” he said.
Why do we need drinking alcohol anyway? It serves no ‘positive’ purpose in our lives and it often leads to self-destruction and harm of others. It should be OUTLAWED worldwide or there should be a prescription or licence requirement.
100%
In moderation it’s fine. Many people don’t know what that means, they drink to inhalation at every opportunity.
You’ll find that most cultures around the world over time have found that the use of mild ‘mind altering substances’ is enjoyable enough to be permissible. Its almost a basic human condition, like cat nip to cats. This is biology not philosophy.
11.42, what are you? Islamic State in Cayman?
You might want to bone up on your history. USA tried prohibition once and we all know how that worked out.
I for one agree that there is much to do about drunk driving in our country. There are no easily solutions when it comes to ignorant,unconcern citizens who fear not for their life or the life of others,the risk takers who believe because they got away with it before they will again etc other than stiffer penalties and jail time.
However, apart from changing the culture of the people regarding the benefits of not getting behind the wheel after drinking, there is absolutely no doubt that the time has certainly come for the CI to develop and implement a complete transportation system (Bus and Taxi Service) that is (a) afforded (b) caters to every corner of these islands (c) 24 hours (d) Reliable and (e) Non-Affiliated with ANY government Elected Official. These TWO strategies, along with continuous police presence on our roads could see, at least, in the foreseeable future a decline in such anti-social behaviour that is obviously causing mayhem on our roads in the CI.
We don’t need 24hr transport. Nothing good has ever happened after midnight. People need to drink in moderation, have fun, and then go to bed so they can function the next day.
hooo ho ho and a bottle of rum! ? cayman tradition….it happens every holiday here…
A shame it’s up to the aerial helicopter crew to do this ground work. Given the scale of our opportunistic crime problems, wouldn’t it be more cost effective to increase the deterrent presence on the roads? We shouldn’t be able to drive more than a mile without seeing a cruiser. There should be a free pair of Cayman Airways tickets to the officer that nabs the most offenders every month. Salary alone doesn’t appear to be sufficient incentive for those deployed to actually enforce our laws.
The fuel burn of a twin turbine chopper alone is already a complete waste of resources. Imagine a chopper to pursue a stationary car on the side of the road.
Or imagine them coming to your aid when you are dieing. They did not know what they were coming into
I’m shure a drunk is real life or death situation
Obviously people are not learning to not drink and drive here. When will the overpaid and lackadaisical powers that be introduce legislation here with to lower the blood, alcohol limit in sync with other global standards (.100 is way high). the penalties for DUI should also be applied in such a way that is commensurate with the alcohol content blown. example – twice the limit over equals twice amount of time they lose their license and impose higher fines. It’s amazing how many people i see obviously “juiced” up and speeding through work zones. In the US of A, you speed through a work zone (with workers present), you get a double fine and DUI would probably land you in the slammer.
Everyone of these govt. clowns in charge with the exception of Sanders is a joke. Why dont local citizens and residents have a better transportation system that can be relied on? Try this experiment, if you work a little out of the way in town or other, see if you can get a bus/maxi that will land you off close enough to your workplace. Blame the politicians driving around in their air conditioned luxury vehicles that are so out of touch they never took bus transport from a last lifetime. Lots of changes need to be made here people to give drinkers a choice to not drink and drive. Legislation should exist for Taxi fleets in that rates should be transparent and a patron knows what the heck taxi rate they pay before even getting into one. Taxi assoc. has been a monopoly here from as far as can be recalled. lots of changes have to be made here, we have an amzing level of wealth and infrastructure here to be a world leader in the caribbean. Why would powers that be want us to be in line with these “back YAAD” islands surrounding our region?
The police can only do so much and apply only the laws within their jurisdiction. rcips has been very vocal that drunk driving is an issue here, yet leadership at the top is mum on the subject as usual. hopefully, change can be made and more education applied to the usual suspects that take chances with their life and others on the road.
If a drunk driver injures or, God forbid, kills a family member of mine, I’m going North for murder. Straight up!
I hope I never have to beat the sobriety into the drunk who crashes into me, especially if I have my child on board.
Now that’s straight talk , think first my friend ,it won’t bring back the dead and if one don’t die then check me for a cow cod .merry Christmas and a safe one .
Drunks threatening to kill police officers sounds like this thug is a mess, must have a great home life…NOT.
For those people who accuse the vendors selling alcohol – that’s ridiculous! Someone who wants to drink and party will always find a way. If the bars not open, they gonna drink at someone’s house. Stop holding other people responsible for the poor choices someone else is making. Those drivers are adults and they should know better.
Any update on the previous head of the traffic unit who…XXXXX
CNS: See Ex top traffic cop charged in hit and run. Don’t bother commenting, it will not be posted as this case is currently going through the courts.
Keep selling and promoting alcohol then clowns. Ignorance is not a bliss when your hit or even “hit on” by a drunk!
Dreadful though it sounds, it may be time for Liquor Licensing Law to require the staff in licensed premises to refuse to sell any more drinks to customers who are clearly intoxicated.
And they say we need longer hours on NYE to drink more, why – more money for the bars and businesses.
I’m sure if the party could start before midnight no one would need until 4am. Also bars and ‘businesses’ have employees some of whom take whom over $100, AT LEAST, in tips, EACH NIGHT. What do you think they do with this cash if not pay bills and buy things, maybe even a meal at a restaurant owned by your friend who goes to your church and has something to put in the plate when he otherwise wouldn’t. Their managers, of course, on salaries paying for the same things. The business itself, able to hire all those people and pay costs of doing business going directly to Government, which is about to increase the size of the police force from increased revenue, thus leading to all those flashy blue lights that Christians love (psst. There’s lots of them in clubs – just check it out – what have you got to lose, besides being above the age limit?’ Ooo ageist joke here comes that SJW lot). Clearly the Chamber needs to be running its videos about how the economy actually WORKS all year every year; it has to sink in to some very thick, hard (calcified) skulls. We are all connected! And yes that means when a driver is very drunk we can connect that to other things too, like a drunk father and ‘very sociable’ mother or vice versa so poor parenting, schooling and culture, lack of proper Bermuda-style bus system and such things (personal responsibility not excluded – but a bus system allows for personal responsibility to be exercised at a large saving of money and small loss of time – a 4 year Londoner can tell you that’s exactly what people will do. If a nice clean bus with proper stops ran from South Sound up to West Bay and I wanted to go out on a weeknight, I’d have it take me both ways and enjoy getting a couple of minutes to catch with friends as they got picked up along the route and on the way back. In countries with public transport it is understood that transport inside a passenger vehicle, is made by paying a fare, buying the vehicle yourself, or being driven by someone who owns one. In other words, if you aren’t driving your car, that’s because you can’t afford one.burnyou Mr Businessman can! The other 95% of your employees are expected at their desks on time. So what do you as a business owner: you lobby for transport improvements! The interplay between these things is just shocking and the understanding ranging from wilful ignorance to wilful default to moral abhorrence and eventually should be to criminal negligence.
And would you believe that some of our fearless leaders think the sale of alcohol at service stations is a good idea?
Sure..and one of the first ones to sell it is the elected member for George town west at his gas station.
Excellent work RCIPS. its a shame you have to resolve to using expensive means to catch these drunken low life’s. It’s unbelievable the DUI’s that continually happening in Cayman. Having no regular bus service or cheap taxi’s is no excuse for this irresponsible behaviour. I think confiscating their vehicles when caught is a huge deterrent. I can guarantee a cut down in DUI if this would be in operation. It’s frightening the amount of drunk drivers on Cayman’s roads.
I came back to Cayman for a couple of weeks vacation to visit work colleagues and hired a car. Omg!! The traffic violations I witnessed on a daily basis was astronomical. The traffic unit is up to their eyes in work. No one knows the work involved. Well done RCIPS I take my hat off to you.
Rolling in a bmw is lowlife now…should it have been a Tesla??
We will fight them on the beaches,
Good Job! Great landing!
Using up vital rescue-resources on drunk drivers. All this could have been sorted with a little bit of foresight by allowing the instituting of a proper Taxi system, so as to not get robbed by these, we-name-our-own-price, taxis.
You can’t help yourself can you? Tell us what exactly the police should do that would please you?
BTW I am not a police officer nor affiliated with them, I’m just a normal dude who is tired of all unnah complaining no matter what.
I did provide a solution. You obviously can’t read.
Far as I am aware the police are not responsible for the setting up of a taxi system to your liking, therefore back to my question, what can the police do to meet your requirements?
3.19, some ketchup for that chip on your shoulder?