Cops crack down ahead of Christmas road chaos
(CNS): Holiday traffic safety operations are already underway with intensified road enforcement operations, the RCIPS has said, and it will continue throughout the season and into the new year. In the first five days of this month police have already arrested seven drivers for DUI, two of whom were more than twice over the legal limit for booze. Officers have also issued 26 tickets for excessive tint and more than 50 tickets for a range of other road offences, from speeding to having no insurance. Two people were also arrested for driving while disqualified or without being qualified.
Throughout December the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit will increase its traffic stops and high visibility patrols, with the aim of reducing traffic collisions, cracking down on traffic offences, and reassuring the community through an increased police presence. DUI offences continue to be a major concern during the holiday season and a focus of the campaign, but officers are also targeting illegal tint, speeding, and driving while disqualified.
“The temptation to drink and drive increases over the holidays, as people get into the festive spirit,” said PS Butler of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit. “It is not our objective to ruin anyone’s holiday, but increased road enforcement is needed to deter drinking and driving and the serious accidents that can result. We will continue as well to focus on excessive tint and persons choosing to drive even though they have been disqualified from doing so. Such behaviour will not be tolerated, and carries stiff fines,” he added.
Robert Graham, Superintendent of Uniform Operations, explained that the crackdown is not just about enforcement, which takes place throughout the year, but safety.
“This operation is specifically focused towards ensuring that the community is safe and that incidents of drink driving are prevented and reduced,” he said. “Drink driving kills and wrecks lives and we ask that the public have a safe holiday period and work with us to reduce drink driving across the island and our Sister Islands.”
As in past years, the RCIPS is also supporting the National Drug Council in their annual Designated Driver and New Year’s Eve Purple Ribbon Bus campaigns. The Designated Driver Campaign, which began on 1 December and continues throughout the holiday season, is an initiative among local restaurants, which offer to provide the designated driver of a party with complimentary soft drinks throughout the evening.
The NDC is still in need of sponsors for this year’s Purple Ribbon Bus service, which provides free bus service on New Year’s Eve from 9:00pm to 4:00am. Interested companies, organisations, or individuals should contact info@ndc.ky for more information on donating towards the campaign.
In addition to traffic enforcement, the RCIPS is sharing safety messages on other holiday safety topics, such as business security and online safety, including appearances on local media and social media posts. Crime prevention tips on financial scams and fraud, especially online, as well as tips on securing homes and businesses against crime during the holiday season, will be discussed.
“The arrival of the holidays means an increase in commercial activity, businesses extending hours and shoppers carrying more cash than usual,” said Pete Lansdown, Detective Superintendent. “Unfortunately, this can provide opportunities for criminals, whether in the real world, or in an online environment. We always try to raise awareness about the risks out there, so that people can avoid becoming a victim of crime and enjoy a holiday season free of worry and inconvenience,” he added.
Category: Crime, Crime Prevention
How about doing 1 at 5pm on westbay after cost u less , where people are coming from work and think they are untouchable.
Race track begins in Savannah right through to the stop light at Bobby Thompson way. Help is needed urgently. Drivers are more dangerous and aggressive By the minute.
Admit it! We got a mess – double lanes and round are death traps for this Island. Caymanians wake up and take back these islands and run them the right was! Like we did before these schemers arrived.
This is what happens when too many people are allowed on Island. This is sad when us good people are fearing for our lives when we get on the road. Get traffic cops in Savannah please – the double lane passing the SPS (Savannah primary school) is more dangerous than ever. What a shame …. what a mess this Island is in. And the police department what a joke the are . From the top to the bottom. All around no one is in charge …. collecting money … living a good life here. Shame, shame.
Can we put JA on the new licence plates for people from a particular country so we can drive with a 50 foot buffer when we see one?
Christmas chaos ?
I don’t get it. Cayman roads are always chaos and war. It’s the local people and Jamaicans that cause this chaos.
I have been 2 weeks in Europe and not a single attack on my life has been made.
Within the first 10 minutes after coming back here, I am pushed off the road, dangerously overtaken etc etc.
I’ve posted this before – it’s not rocket science to tackle this. All RCIPS need to do is identify all the major pre-Christmas events and target them. I’ve seen the aftermath of one annual bash where the participants rolled out of the place just after midnight throwing punches at each other and racing their cars round the parking lot. Not a cop in sight but then they were all well-connected young Caymanians so what do you expect? I was one of a number of local residents who called 911 but nothing happened. Guess it’s a case of who you know?
I will know progress has been made when I stop seeing cars with a single license plate, or cars with orange, red, green or blue front running lights. At night, recently, I thought the car in the opposite lane was reversing towards me, as the owner had replaced his white side lights with orange bulbs, and incredibly, I’ve seen red brake lights replaced with white ones. Does it get any dafter? As for impersonating the Police with blue lights, how do drivers get away with it?
And don’t get me started on the 5-inch long, spiked wheel nuts which I saw today on a truck, the wheels spinning like some Roman war chariot, ready to chop up up the enemy.The potential lacerations on a pedestrian, particularly a child, make me squirm.
The idiots with (surely illegal) blue bulbs, they wouldn’t last 5 minutes in Europe. They’d be impounded/fined. Many of these vehicles are taxis and buses!!!
The thing is, someone has to go out of their way to fit these things. A conscious decision has to be made, “hmmmm, you know what, my white running lights would look better if they’re red/blue/green”. It is utterly moronic, but I guess that does truly reflect the level of drivers we have here.
Saw a cop speed past me in the opposite lane on Fairbanks rd today. Nothing will change until they drive within the law as well.
heres an idea…
why don’t cig let buses run late night over xmas to help with the taxi chaos?….
more transport options will reduce drink driving straight away…
Why isn’t the Cayman Marathon held out in the eastern districts!? Talk about road chaos!!! And I’m sure the same people running in and organizing that race were the same ones bashing the Ride Out, that inconvenienced no one, a week ago!
What genius from the NRA decided it was a good idea to start working on the bike lane on the ETH at 8am. Could they not just wait an hour…talk about Road Chaos it was backed up from the Butterfield Roundabout to Camana Bay.
I get that it starts to warm up and work has to start early, but you can’t just close a lane in rush hour to do work that doesn’t involve the actual lane.
what genius decided to build the road and not do the bike lane but decided to go back and do it 6 months later?
The same genius that decided to work on Harbour Dr on Saturday’s and the round a bout by Hurley’s on Sunday’s.
7 drivers in 5 days? That’s 15 minutes work at 700pm on a Tuesday.
Spoken like someone who had never worked in law enforcement. Plus 50 tickets and 26 tint, etc etc, read the article.
Divided by how many “blitzing” officers over how many hours?