Community police come to rescue
(CNS): Police community beats are helping RCIPS officers acquire a body of local knowledge that is being utilised in many different ways besides fighting crime. In two recent incidents, community officers in George Town were able to help a local resident and a family on vacation as a result of what they had learned about the people on their beats. In one case, they helped get much-needed medical attention to an elderly resident and in the other to recover a lost family heirloom from the ocean.
In the early hours of Monday, 2 July, an elderly woman in Windsor Park called 911 after falling down in her apartment. She was having difficulty breathing and was unable to get up but she was also unable give her name or physical address.
However, beat officers in the area were able to determine the location and identity of the woman based on the description of the circumstances and their knowledge of the area. The officers were then able to gain access to the apartment and allow emergency personnel to enter and treat the woman.
“I have no doubt that the if the community policing team hadn’t been on duty, the much-needed medical assistance would have been delayed considerably,” said Sergeant Roje Williams, who was serving as shift commander at the time the incident took place. “That they were able to quickly figure out who the woman was and where she was located, even with such limited information, speaks volumes to the community-based work they have been doing.”
In the other incident, which happened last month, PC Jonathan Kern, the community officer for Seven Mile Beach South, was able to show some real Caymankind when he found just the right person in his community area to help a tourist who had lost her late grandmother’s ring at the beach.
On Saturday, 23 June, Superintendent Robert Graham was off duty at the Westin Hotel when a visitor who had just arrived told him she had lost the piece of jewellery in the water nearby and was looking for help.
While the senior officer joined in the search, he also contacted PC Kern to find out if he knew anyone in the area with a metal detector. Kern was able to track down Mike Powell, who continued the search for several days with his detector and eventually found the ring. A week later Graham, who heads up community policing, handed the ring over to the woman and her family, just as they were checking out of their hotel to return to the US.
“It was a real a pleasure to complete such a tangible and positive result for the family, who were clearly very upset at the loss of the ring,” he said. “They were totally surprised that we had had gone to such lengths to get the ring back. With the local knowledge of PC Kern and the kind assistance of Mr Powell and his metal detector, we were able to make a real difference to this family who came to Cayman to have a nice vacation.”
PC Jonathan Kern (far left) and Superintendent Robert Graham return the lost ring to the family on vacation
Category: Local News
The police find and care of an old lady and a tourist who lost a wedding band, and you people find a way to sneer. Pathetic.
Hope the same applies for the local people that lost important pieces too.
There is a reason why police departments across the globe adopted community beat policing decades ago – this is one example. But like everything else, Cayman Islands public authorities fail to follow successful examples from abroad in a timely manner and believe they must re-invent the wheel for everything..
Congrats RCIPS, now you see that this approach has benefits. However, it could go further if sometimes your officers get out of their AC cars and actually meet the residents of communities instead of just driving through, like they continue to do in my neighbourhood.
And “well done” to Mike Powell as well! aka…. The Big Kahuna
I’ll second that. Great effort Mike. You are a man with a big heart! I did not recognise you in that pic. Of course, if they had mentioned your name along with the police officers in the pic, it would have been good.
Keep up the GREAT WORK! This Commissioner of Police is doing such a fantastic job since he took over, compared to the one that was there before him.
There was a time when this was routine foot and beat patrol which put officers in close contact with the residents and businesses, imparted local knowledge, and gleaned valuable intelligence. Then in the name of budgetary constraints, this valuable policing was dumped and manpower diverted elsewhere, only for some Johnny-come-lately to rename it, re-introduce it, and claim the credit with the usual PR fanfare and BS. If you are as old as me, you should remember, and become totally cynical with the repetetive cycle of this crap. I can remember several years ago, when Commissioner Thursfield kick started the old concept of Community Policing and got it working, only for it to be once more abandoned by another Johnny-come-lately who wanted his pet projects to make PR news.
And so the cycle is repeated ad infinitum, the assumption being that we are dummies with alzheimers. I support our police in their struggle, but this PR bull shite needs to stop. Put that PR money back into operational use where it may help protect our citizens. If I sound angry, it is because I have heard and seen it all too many times. For God’s sake just get on with the job, the country desperately needs it!
A nice, convenient, warm and fuzzy story for PR purposes, BUT, there was a time when foot and beat patrol was routine police work, with all the obvious advantages of local knowledge and personal relationships, not to mention intelligence gathering.Why the hell do we keep cutting rescources, dropping coverage, then along comes another Johnny come lately to rebrand what used to be the norm, and claim credit for it with the customary PR fanfare. If you are old enough to remember, and as cynical as I have become, it is an absolute pain in the arse! Do they think we are simpletons or what. Take that money you constantly spend on PR, put it into operational use, and as Boris Johnson recently said, “Stop polishing the turd.” I love the police, but for God’s sake get on with the job!
We notice you trying! Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Got to love good news stories…good job RCIPS
What about the thief that was caught on 7mile public beach by the beach vendors on Thursday for trying to steal a tourist’s bag.
He was seen by the lady who owns the bag, and when confronted by her he ran away, but was pursued and caught by the same worker who’s name and picture was all over the news a few weeks ago accusing him for working in Cayman illegally.
This guy is a hero to all and should be recognized for his act of bravery, for running this criminal down and catching him without any help or tools to apprehend such a person, and whilst trying to restrain this scum of the earth he was also bitten by him in doing so,and with the help of other beach vendors they held him there for 30mins until the police arrived.
I think situations like this should be in the media from the police report because it shows how simple people are willing to jeopardize their own life for the well being of others and the safety of this island, because tourism here is all of our bread and butter and if this thief wasn’t caught, then the blame would have been left solely on the beach vendors, so I say give credit where credit is due, and never judge a book by it’s cover, oh BTW, the thief was of some Spanish descent.
A world class civil service. Thank you for all that you do. Many of us see the positive changes.
17year old holding up restaurants with guns. Yes, super positive changes mate and really recent ones too, just that they are in the criminals favor(s).
Well done coppers. Please continue to do what you are paid for.
Also, why doesn’t my boss run articles in the paper when I do my job?
Don’t be a dick.
Amen.
Perhaps you’re not doing as good a job as you think?