Teen arrested as cops stay focused on burglary
(CNS): Police arrested a suspected teenage burglar yesterday, as officers prioritise their efforts to tackle the crime that continues to cause significant concern for the community. In the crime report published Friday, the RCIPS said that 515 burglaries were reported to the police in 2017, an increase of 17% over 2016. In the latest arrest, a 17-year-old boy from North Side was arrested Monday, 23 April, on suspicion of two counts of burglary, in relation to two incidents in Bodden Town on Tuesday, 13 February. And a 48-year-old man from East End was arrested yesterday in connection to an incident that happened the day before. He remains in custody as the investigations continue.
According to police statistics, Bodden Town saw a significant increase in the number of burglaries and attempted burglaries last year, jumping from 68 break-ins, largely of residential premises, to 156 last year. With the exception of George Town, where there were 290 burglaries and attempted burglaries, Bodden Town was the worst-hit district. During the spring of 2017, a wave of burglaries affected the district and were found to have been committed by the same group of individuals.
But police said that burglaries have impacted all districts, with spikes in certain areas at certain times. Commercial burglaries account for the highest losses, but residential burglaries are more common. The total of break-ins and attempted break-ins last year across all districts in the three Cayman Islands of residential properties was 424, while 179 commercial premises were targeted.
Despite the increase in the crime in 2017 compared to 2016, over the last five years the annual average for both attempted and successful burglaries has been 672. In 2014 there were 699 break-ins and another 77 attempts. While 2016 was the least impacted, with 439 burglaries, the police said it was still far too high given the size of the population.
“Burglary prevention is a central objective of the RCIPS’ new community policing programme and public education efforts,” the RCIPS said in the report. “Burglary detection also forms a major objective within the detective portfolio, with detectives re-deployed to the districts at several junctures in 2017 to investigate crimes and arrest offenders.”
A renewed interest in neighbourhood watch programmes is being capitalised on and facilitated by new beat officers, who are developing relationships with residents in their new areas. Police also stated that a priority of the Community Policing Department in 2018 is to establish new watches in all districts, and the media unit has plans for a sustained crime prevention campaign.
But senior police said these efforts are only part of the answer to a problem rooted in drug abuse, recidivism and social issues that are outside the scope of policing alone. Speaking at the press briefing, Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis pointed out the extremely high recidivism problem Cayman has, especially for this type of crime.
Last year police managed to lay 63 burglary charges. There are currently fifteen people serving prison sentences for burglary, while another six are on remand.
Maybe you should think before smoking that joint. School kids are accessing alcohol freely now and will do the same if weed is legalised. So much for regulation.
Comment was meant for @3:27pm
By “their own people” do you mean their parents?
Legalize weed, legalize gay marriages, legalize gambling, legalize prostitution, legalize divorce and legalize the sale of booze on sunday. Everyone recognize what these all have in common? Money and it is the root of all evil. Do you really believe all will be the cure of our children problems or to the burglary situation? Until our politicians take a serious stance on crime and stop passing the buck, the situation will inevitably get worst.
Well at least its not expats running Cyaman
The saying goes….the love of money is the root of all evil….not money itself.
Caymanians need to start taking an interest in helping these children from troubled homes, only when their own people care about them, will they maybe care about themselves.
So to the well off, educated, and government elected Caymanians….please start investing in your people, starting with EDUCATION. Education should be for all, not just the wealthy.
We also need to check if they are Caymanian, and if appropriate, deport them.
Totally agree. We are hyper focused on demasculinising everything and trying to make our boys behave like girls. Bring back skills to the schools and stop trying to turn everyone into lawyers and accountants. We need the mechanics and construction guys – teach those skills and the youth wil have more options to make an honest living.
Mother of boys!
What? Who is trying to make a boy behave like a girl. And what does that even mean? I’m very concerned you’re a mother.
Legalize the lotteries and use those funds for the education of your children to compete with hiring overseas!!! Then you can stop blaming the expats for taking your jobs.
17yrs old… start ’em young, eh!
No shortage of money being spent on education. hundreds of millions of dollars. According to CIG more per pupil than the private schools. Funding is not the problem. What the money is being spent on, control of the schools, but above all parental interest and support for education- are the critical issues.
I’m almost certain that none of these burglary suspects can be deported and as the police say, the minute they are out of jail they are back at it again. Drug abuse and social issues need to be urgently addressed if we are to stop this downward spiral.
Well, they really can’t be deported from their country of birth is the reality.
That rather depends…
Stop the feminized school system that is failing the developmental needs of boys so that they can compete in the workplace. The failed system has been in place for 30 years and has created this multiple generational problem. Cayman is not alone in this, and the stats for Cayman are very similar to the entire Western world. The difference is those other jurisdictions spend a lot more on prisons and military, which is where the failed boys will go.
The feminist lobby in Cayman is the biggest silent contributor to the problem.
But by all means, let’s celebrate another women’s day, month or blah, blah, blah…
In amongst some extremely stiff competition this comment (11.44am) has got to be one of the most farcical I’ve read in a very long time.
CNS, do you keep a list of nominees for Moron of the Year? If so please regard this poster as nominated.
you do realize that all of the legit outside research on the schools have shown the same results as the 11:44 comment right?
I highly doubt “legit research” includes a sexiest assessment. In fact research shows when women are in charge communities do much better.
your ignorance is astounding…. very simply do a quick online search for the failure of boys due to the modern school system… several will quote “feminized schooling’…
Legalize pot, use money to fund schools. Educated individuals tend to not break into homes. If these teenagers are committing crime, then take a look at their home life. You’ll find the problem.
Great let’s encourage an increase of ‘weedhead’ students. They will help improve our future.
Please think before you write. Pot, not unlike alcohol, would be regulated the same way.