UK sending military personnel to Cayman
(CNS): The British government is sending nine members of the armed forces and three other military officials to the Cayman Island for an extended period. As he announced the arrival of this military team on Monday, Governor Martyn Roper said they were coming to support the territory during the COVID-19 pandemic and as we approach the hurricane season. He said they will be assisting with security, planning and logistics.
Although he stated that he did not have any major concerns about security here, which he described as stable, Roper said the arrival of this military delegation was “a welcome precautionary move so that we have some people from the UK here to assist us on security”. It also signalled political support from Britain for the territories, the governor added.
The armed forces and their civilian colleagues will arrive on the British Airways air-bridge charter next week, along with a small number of Caymanians who are still in the UK and wish to return home. Also on the flight will be a batch of extraction kits to help boost the coronavirus testing numbers here.
The flight will arrive Tuesday evening, 28 April. The next day (Wednesday 29 April) it will leave with more people currently in the Cayman Islands who want to travel to the UK. Details of how people here can purchase tickets will be revealed in the coming days.
The governor said that the military personnel and all returning residents arriving on this flight will be in quarantine for the first two weeks and will be working via Zoom meetings in order to familiarise themselves with officials here.
Roper said the decision by the UK to send this defence team was part of the UK’s response and commitment to the overseas territories. However, Cayman is only the second territory where the UK has confirmed it is sending a defence team, having sent an advisory team to the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this month.
Asked exactly what the personnel will do once they are released from quarantine, the governor said they would help with planning, assessments, sourcing medical supplies and hurricane preparedness, as well as supporting Cayman’s new defence regiment by mentoring some of the recruits.
“So it’s simply a precaution to help make sure we can deal with any eventuality that we might face,” he added.
While potential security problems seem to be behind the arrival of this military team, over the last few weeks during his appearances at the daily briefings, Commissioner Derek Byrne has consistently stated that the crime situation in Cayman is very stable.
With the exception of a recent spate of commercial burglaries, for which a suspect has been arrested, CoP Brne has also noted the general adherence to the curfews every night. The breach of soft curfew by five dirt bike riders during the first weekend of April, the ‘beach binge’ on Good Friday and a cockfight ring bust this weekend are the worst of Cayman’s crimes over the last three weeks.
Even domestic violence, which has spiked in many other countries during lockdowns, has shown no increase here, which has surprised the officers at the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), who had prepared for a surge in this type of incident during curfews.
See the full press briefing below, set to start where the governor discusses the evacuation flights:
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Local News
8.21pm .. and why do you think the resistance is growing in the Caymanians – let me te you: our worse fears are now realized, the authorities have let too many criminals in our islands. We have every right to speak up “these are our Islands” we work very hard to be the best in everything we do… thank you. It was our shorted sighted politicians that let all these criminals and poverty stricken people on us.
We lived peaceful, loving and happy until all the injustice was thrown on us. Ok. We cannot accommodate everyone and solve their problems for God Sake give us a break.
I recently retired to Cayman because of its reputation as being hospitable and welcoming to all cultures and nationalities. (I am white, my wife is African). I have lived in Jamaica and Barbados in the past but Cayman is special because it is crime free and people seem genuine and easy going. I have generously supported the hospital and local businesses, and always been respectful to everyone I meet. It is profoundly disappointing to see such vitriol and so many comments related to race and class come up after only a few weeks of quarantine. Perhaps this was all a facade and there really is deep seating resentment against non-Caymanian born people. If you want an example of how quickly a paradise can turn to anarchy and poverty then look over to Jamaica. I encourage everyone to relax, reflect on the blessings you have here, let this pass and put this behind you. If Cayman gets a reputation as being unsafe or unfriendly then cruises and tourists will not return and it will enter into a death spiral. No cruises = no tourists = less government revenue = fewer jobs = more poverty and despair. Now is the time to be supportive, not divisive. The government, police, community workers, medical professionals, workers in the stores and our neighbors all should be respected and supported without judgement.