Cops step up patrols to boost business safety

| 21/12/2018 | 16 Comments
Cayman News Service

SPC Leslie Franklin visits the West Bay Diner

(CNS): The RCIPS stepped up foot patrols in commercial areas across the islands this week to enhance the safety and security of businesses and the customers during the Christmas Season. On Wednesday evening officers were meeting and greeting with staff in and around the business area of West Bay at Centennial Towers, advising on security and offering a reassuring presence, which was welcomed by the local community. Most retailers were pleased to see the officers and had nothing but praise for the RCIPS since they have increased community policing levels.

CNS joined the officers on patrol in West Bay and heard from staff and business owners, who said the presence of officers on foot in the district has made a big difference from when the police patrolled only in their cars. They were also pleased that officers are paying close attention to those businesses that close later during the holiday season and are checking on them at closing time when they are most vulnerable to crime.

“Businesses are open later this week to accommodate shoppers in the days leading up to Christmas,” said Inspector Courtney Myles of the Community Policing Department. “We recognise that it is important for people to feel a degree of security into the later evening and up to closing time to get their shopping dome. Greater police visibility offers that reassurance, especially in the form of foot patrols.”

While the enhanced police patrols during the holiday season has been about strengthening crime prevention, especially robberies, during this period of heightened commercial activity, they also want to encourage the business areas to come together to watch out for each other throughout the year.

“In addition to neighbourhood watches, we are also trying to encourage a business watch in West Bay,” said SPC Leslie Franklin, Beat Officer for Morgan’s Harbour (Beat 12). “Businesses have different needs and concerns and can benefit from joining forces and working closely with police.”

Meanwhile, the RCIPS also said school children have not been left out of the Holiday Safety Campaign this year, as community officers have been attending various schools throughout the month, giving presentations on topics such as safety on the road and at home, with the aim of helping them stay safe while out of school over the holidays.

See the community police officers tour West Bay below. Click to enlarge photos.

 

Anyone interested in starting a business watch should contact their community beat officer. Contact details for beat officers can be found at on the RCIPS website.

Safety tips on various topics can be found at here.

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Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Police

Comments (16)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Typical you all bitch about the RCIPS but if a crime happens and they ask for witnesses no one opens their mouths because of the snitches get stitches mentality. Maybe if more people cooperated with the RCIPS and stopped trying to shelter their “anghells” crime would actually begin to curb. I’m sure people know who is doing what but no one steps forward.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You have it a bit backwards, the problem is that people do and have stepped forward and repeatedly volunteered reports, or given evidence which went wholly unanswered. A couple decades worth of non-response, or police/DPP second-chancing indictable offenses, and people stop calling. The amount of normal police scope that isn’t even perceived to be within their remit is staggering. The reality is that so-called “police work” has become seasonal window-dressing at best, and our well-known gangs are now entrenched and largely left to their own devices. There is no intention to actively disrupt the crime status quo in their areas of operation, expand the over-capacity prison, or enact Standards in Public Life.

    • Anonymous says:

      The actual court record shows that people do call, and the RCIPS and DPP bungle the evidence all on their own. Our courts see more mistrials and dismissals than convictions.

  2. Anonymous says:

    What on earth is the matter with you people?? You are never satisfied! RCIPS can’t do right for doing wrong.
    They are patrolling the business areas as people are saying “we never see officers on the beat.” Now that they are patrolling you aren’t happy about that! Maybe you people that criticise all the time should join the Force and hit it into shape then……somehow I don’t think you have the intelligence to do so.

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    • ETH says:

      Lol. You are correct. RCIPS can’t do anything right. They are not patrolling the business areas, they are taking pictures with business owners, making it look like they’re patrolling business areas. And once they’re done with the photos, they’re done with the patrolling as well…somehow you lack the intelligence to see this.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I know exactly what they do 2.17pm way above what you know because I served as a Police Officer within RCIPS. Trouble with people like you, you don’t realise what Police Officers have to deal with every shift and the abuse people like you bestow upon them. You need to support your Force and not be so negative all the time. I didn’t notice you in line for an application form to join up.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    We employ 400+ full time officer salaries plus overtime, can anyone break down what do they all do, because it doesn’t appear to be crime fighting…instead we have a handful of “beat officers” tasked (when on shift) to “patrol” large swathes of geography. This approach ain’t working.

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    • Anonymous says:

      These mythical 400+ you talk about are divided into many specialized areas. Marine unit, financial crimes, family support etc, as well as beat cops. It really is as simple as looking at their actually quite good website/app.

      They obviously do fight crime. Being seen on patrol is one thing they do. Yes, these pictures are cheesy efforts at PR, but it’s a 1 minute snapshot. Stop being so negative and get behind the RCIPS.

      The biggest issue here is people not speaking up, then others expecting cases to solve themselves with CSI style technology. Nah. Intelligence from people is far more useful to start off with.

      Scores of drunk drivers have been detected, burglars have been apprehended and I personally feel pretty safe going about my business here. Yes, there are still problems, but that’s more to do with society than the police are able to deal with.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Ever arrest anyone for stealing employee pension money? No. Is it theft and fraud? Yes. Has it been reported to you with evidence numerous times? Yes. Yet you do nothing.

        When you start to prosecute the easy stuff, let alone the hard stuff, you can start to expect a little respect. Until then I think of you as part of the problem, not the solution.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Having called the police 7 times in a single day for a breach of several public laws…911 dispatch finally sent the only guy on duty, and he was so outnumbered he decided not to do anything…that’s the confidence-depleting state of our “police” effort. As a result, the public stop calling, making reports, or volunteering evidence. The RCIPS PR department constantly blame actual and would be law-abiding victims in print for deserving the crime that comes to them! You can’t make this stuff up!

  4. Anonymous says:

    0 x 3 = new number of patrols

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  5. XRP says:

    Oh great, how nice! Another photo opportunity…and then the Key Stone Cops go back into hiding, nowhere to be found when something of significance happens. And look, in some instances there are three of them, all in the same place. 2 are watching while the other is busy shaking hands. How reassuring. While just 2 minutes down the road, some poor businessman is getting robbed blind.

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  6. TKO Hooker says:

    I feel it for the Police especially when we have those who’s job it is to keep criminals off our streets play God with people lives and disregard public safety by letting those out of jail who’s sole intention is to come out here to do violence and to be a menace to society and continue their criminal activity. How sad we now have so many anti law enforcement indealist elements running about the place ya trying to portray criminals as victims of society

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  7. Anonymous says:

    I guess the one cop doesn’t even have handcuffs?

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  8. Ron Ebanks says:

    Unah hear dat don’t drink and drive. . Cause the Police name be nice to this Christmas . Merry Christmas and new year .

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