Panton calls for meeting with CoP
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton has asked Governor Martyn Roper to invite members of Parliament to an emergency meeting with Police Commissioner Derek Byrne to brief them on the recent spate of gun violence on Grand Cayman. The shootings began last month and in the space a week escalated to two murders and eight other people being shot. However, Byrne has so far given no public comment on the worsening security situation, leaving Deputy Commissioner Kurt Walton to make brief comments to the media.
Panton extended his condolences to the families of the men who have been killed and wished a speedy recovery to those who have been injured, but expressed concern about the escalation of violence.
“This is not just a police issue or a national security issue,” said Panton. “This is a problem that effects everyone in our society. People should not be afraid to go about their daily lives in fear of becoming victims of this sort of heinous behaviour. We must take a zero tolerance approach to any crime, especially gun crime. I urge anyone with any information on either of the shootings to share their information with the police.”
The briefing for MPs will be followed by an emergency National Security Council meeting to address the increasing use of illegal guns in our jurisdiction, according to a release from the premier’s office. A further update will be provided to the public outlining a course of action that has been agreed.
Meanwhile, the governor expressed his concerns about resent events. “These shootings are shocking, unacceptable and given that some of the victims appear to simply be bystanders, it reflects a risk to everyone in the country. We cannot have gun violence going unchecked,” he said.
“I was greatly shocked by last night’s gun attack at Vic’s Bar in George Town resulting in the death of one person, one person in a critical condition and four others injured. Any loss of life is tragic. Our prayers and condolences go out to the family of the murdered victim and all those who were injured. I strongly condemn the use of guns in any situation but to fire weapons indiscriminately putting innocent members of the public in great danger cannot be tolerated.”
Roper said he has full confidence in the police commissioner and the RCIPS to bring those responsible to justice as quickly as possible, adding that the police have his full support and that of the UK government.
“I ask the public to remain calm and provide any information that may help the police with their enquiries,” Roper added.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Meetings are part of the problem. This approach of calling meetings upon meetings, followed up by some more meetings accomplishes nothing. Zero. The problem requires severe and drastic solutions that no government is willing to undertake. In a few more years the Cayman Islands will be just another crime ridden Caribbean destination – we’re half-way there already. Sad but true.
Someone didn’t like someone else?
Why haven’t they been meeting about crime every week? Because they really don’t care until it gets all up in the newspapers.
Panton needs to call for the RESIGNATION of the Commissioner of Police. Too much shady things going on in RCIPS. What happened to the case where officers are taking him to court? No promotions for local officers. Why the injustice? What happened to the suspended Business Manager – Charmaine Moss and the CIFA scandal she was in?
The larger problem is the court system. Even if arrested, delay the procedures for 2-3 years, evidence lost, witness moved on and the a slap on the wrist.
And try and bring down a corrupted cop!
That’s happened before, Jamaican origins, fired quietly and protected by family connections.
Resorted to stealing from overseas people building houses and again got away with it as the police said it was a civil matter.
While we have Jamaican police, they will look after their own.
It’s a Jamaixan mafia inside the police. Whoever allowed the volume of Jamaicans inside RCIPS is incompetent. Lazy, corrupt and incompetent. And that’s just three works I could use. The COP needs to slowly dismantle the network by refusing contract renewals for cops that haven’t broken sweat.
Wow. I am not a prejudiced person, but the correlation is strong. And my own first-hand experience witnessing Jamaican police letting their “bredjen” slide for everything small and big,leads me to agree. But in the big picture, we have police who are lazy, arrogant, petty, and incompetent. Never mind the “meat-eaters” vs “grass-feeders” argument.
It’s obvious the “grassfeeders” are just as harmful. They turn a blind eye and deaf ear to real concerns in the community. They ignore other obvious facts. All it takes for evil to prevail is for the good to sit idle. We do not necessarily need draconian overreactions to our problems. Actually, we need to be more PROACTIVE than reactive as a people. We can argue until the cows come home and most people bring up excellent points on both sides. But there are no easy, quick solutions.
Let’s be honest. We have a community that won’t cooperate with the police. They won’t talk to them because they aren’t snitches and tattletales. Sure, we’ll grant that that isn’t helpful. But on the other end — they are legitimately fearful of violent retaliation! Small community… everyone knows everyone. Valid concern.
Then there is the police themselves. I have many of my own anecdotes to share on their stupidity. In one instance, they were looking for guy who broke the marine conservation laws. It was in the newspapers and everything! He was deported. They were harassing my sister’s Costa Rican nanny about her immigration status (of courseshe was her legally). They preceeded to search for the man in kitchen cupboards and pantries. Fine. But then they searched under a mattress laying flat on the concrete floor! …for a human being. A grown man… a man that was already deported! Geniuses.
Another incident involves my brother-in-law having his trailer stolen. He owns a landscaping and gardening service — that trailer was his livelihood! He traces the steps of the thief and reported it to the police. They told him that he could maybe get it back if he gave the thief some money! Genius! Another time he was ticketed by a Barbadian cop for having a cracked, but otherwise functional headlamp on his car. Not two seconds later, his “bredjen” pulls up with BOTH headlamps out, he just smiles and hails him up!
We have lazy, corrupt police. They have an attitude of self-importance and they can be prejudiced. But the problems have deep roots. And simply bringing the focus back on God and faith won’t fix anything either. I’d be all for it… if it actually yielded results. It does not, but we have another problem anyway — We have a nation of judgemental, haughty, condescending, hypocritical pharisees! Come on.
We have churches everywhere. We were all raised on the Bible in Cayman. Your mama or your daddy will beat you and say, “Boy!
You gotta go to chuch (church)!” Hell, even the Italian and Russian mafia are raised Christian. The Yakuza are Shintoist.
We had our previous CoP investigated and that yielded nothing. Our current CoP is clearly not up to the task. But we aren’t even sure if these folks aren’t handicapped in some way to be honest. We are quick to judge, but are the “powers that be” tying his hands behind him? Or maybe the police service is already so corrupt and far gone, he has nothing to work with.
Whatever the cause is, there is still more WE CAYMANIANS can do than just pointing fingers,stating the obvious and reacting instead of being proactive. We can cooperate with the police anonymously. We can support education AND we can encourage introduce vocational training (not everyone needs an academic degree). We can start driving safer! We can get the cars that are obviously not road-worthy OFF THE ROADS! XXXX
And to reply to Concerned directly —
That is not a terrible idea. It has worked in other countries. The entire police service dismantled and restarted fresh. But that is best saved as a last resort. We DO have a few good cops trying to make a difference, but have their hands tied in the RCIPS.
I have laid out small steps. We won’t see drastic and immediate changes, but we Caymanians can and SHOULD do more….
Or we can sit idly by and let evil win as we always have!
And a total failure to report miscreants to immigration so that where appropriate, they can be deported, quickly and effectively, at the first instances of criminality.
AMEN!!!
The Governor has to take the corruption in RCIPS, the Solicitor General Office and the Judiciary seriously if there are to be any positive in-roads in this area of his responsibility.
Add the high level government officials responsible for border controls to your list!
All they have to do is walk through these areas with police dogs and find the guns.
Little known fact that seems to have eluded the elected governments over the past 20 years is that gang bangers in prison are less likely to shoot up neighborhoods than the ones we keeping turning loose on our streets. If they understood that they might make some minimal effort to keep violent criminals in prison rather than making sure that they are released back onto our streets in the rare event that they are arrested and convicted.
The criminals have no fear of arrest or prosecution or conviction or a prison sentence of more than a few days. They know that our current system is in reality much closer to 100% tolerant than it is to 0% tolerant. The current system literally means that crime pays very well in Cayman.
Especially for politicians.
Yeah, but no one dares to accuse politicians of anything.
SHAZAM!!!
What percentage of these violent crimes ever end up with any criminal actually serving for more than a few weeks in the Northward Hilton? 2%? 5%? – probably less than 1% in reality. In the absence of transparency and accountability for both criminals and people in law enforcement at all levels, expect to see these kinds of mass shootings coming to a neighborhood near you soon.
Been here for years, look at the government and large business owners. Oh yeah gonna get on a skiff with lots of spliff and guns and head into waters… Why? No reason? Who paying from Cayman to get them here?
If government was actually serious about a zero tolerance approach and keeping our streets safe they would demand transparency from the police and prosecution services in relation to the number of violent crimes, the arrest rates, the failures to prosecute, the botched prosecutions, the plea deals that re-classify violent crimes as petty crimes that criminals are happy to plead to in order to pretty up the ‘closure’ rate for prosecutors and get the criminals back on the streets, and the tiny tiny amount of time that criminals serve in comparison with the penalties on the books for the crimes that were actually committed.
Why were two experienced Caymanian officers of the JMU abrupptly transfered out of the coast guard. Why is it being kept hush hush.
Possibly to allow this crap to happen because these two actually knew what they were doing and the 5 boneheads running have know idea.
Because they didn’t want to join the coast guard and leave RCIPS
More chance of getting shot in Cayman, than dying from COVID @ 0.04% globally.
Who did you let in?
Didn’t they need a police check like me?
Were they vaccinated prior to their work permits being approved?
Yeah because catching Covid is what you need to worry about when a guy is carrying a gun and shooting up a street or bar.
They better start solving some of the crimes here and getting convictions!!! Bring back capital punishment! Hang a few of these losers and it’ll help.
This man needs to be fired. He is clearly not capable of doing this job.Its very clear to see that they are not prepared for events like these taking place. It’s really not that difficult the have the streets on the island locked down in under 5 mins if they were prepared. and at the very least arrest or kill if thats what it takes the animals doing these things.
And meanwhile Kenneth Bryan has an illegal billboard advertising himself and his policy’s
Yeah, this is real important right now. Try so rub your two lonely brain cells together long enough to get a clue nah
What is the clue?
… policy’s…mmmm…
What makes it illegal?……. and why do you care?
Does Panton mean CIG is finally going to Addess crime and it’s main cause, a horrible educational system? Cayman should have mandatory junior college education for all Caymanians.
Nope, those things can wait.
We have to solve global warming first.
byrne…will probably call for the closure of all bars for the next 8 weeks.
anything to make things easier for the police farce…..
Not a bad idea, close down those in the news reports, block the rat tunnels and see where they run.
Panton showing to be a take charge leader…nice change from the meely mouthed crooks we’ve had previously. Hopefully he gets immigration back in line so Caymanians have a place in the workforce besides ditch digging.
What is wrong with digging ditches? Why would you denigrate honest work?
Nothing but there should be suitable options available.
2:24, you’re so right! This idea of jobs being beneath people is why we have so many issues. An honest job for and honest day’s pay is always admirable!
CN we have so e American and UK police?
This has gone on too long
That’s part of the problem. People raise their kids with too high expectations and when they don’t run a company or become partner after 3 months at a job they complain.
Are the PACT government about to make a decision ?
That will be TWO now in 100 days way to go !!
We know the root is the drug trade. Especially trying to both fill the financial gap and support stressful users.
People need to find other forms of stress breaker other than drugs. Get spiritual compass back on God.
Then intelligence need to be good to stop the illegal guns.
time to legalize marijuana. At least it will remove alot of the proceeds of crime. Free up prison space, and save the government millions in court costs, and incarceration costs.
If we are a god fearing nation. Who grew marijuana? Exactly.
Intelligence and god in the same comment. Hilarious. Thanks for the laugh.
If God is all-powerful, why does he condone all this?
He’s evil
To punish you and your kind!
Read this very carefully: There are no Gods.
Just go for a swim in the Ocean, no God is needed.
Time for drug dogs and swat teams on every corner for a few weeks. Catch all of these A-holes and lockem up!
Time to legalize weed.
Legalizing cannabis would provide a brand new industry for our people (and licenses to grow and sell should be strictly reserved for our people too! This could be our first major export in a damn long time), and it would be a huge blow to the smuggling ring that obviously currently exists here, as most people understand that boats are how most of the guns come in. Not just drug canoes either, so I hope they are checking all those rich people going to and fro on their boats, because they are absolutely bringing both drugs and weapons into the country too.
If marijuana was legalized it would decrease the amount of boats coming into the island bringing it which in turn carries a lot of guns and also takes a lot of stolen goods out when they leave
Or we could just control our borders.
We need an American police officer, who is familiar with gun violence and how to deal with it to lead the RCIPS. Not an Irishman who’s never seen a firearm in his entire career.
Bring back Dennis BRady
Oh yes, because American police have managed to eradicate gun violence in the USA
Let’s see, curbing gun violence in a country of 334 million people verses 70,000 folks??
Realistically in the US (which has its own problems) these little gang banging idiots have a real fear of being shot by cops…and rightly so. If you’re gonna flash your little gun around and pop shots in a bar over some bullspit…armed officers are likely to kill you on the scene. Here…there only ever a few armed officers anywhere. The rest don’t have vests…so they’re not even going to touch you…so you can do whatever the hell you want. Give all the cops vests and guns for a month and watch the roaches scurry for cover
They certainly monopolize gun violence in the USA.
Except we know who most of the criminals are. Maybe certain people should work on raising productive children instead of having 10 kids for 10 men.
That problem is a big one. It is also largely an imported one, and one which largely imported officials have failed to address. No one is held responsible, least of all the absent fathers, despite clear mechanisms in law and policy. It is all a sick joke.
Social decay is exactly why we’re dealing with these hoodlums! Young girls spitting out baby after baby (with multiple men) yet none of the fathers helping to raise them. No focus on education. Then the next generation just follows the same disastrous path.
How about using the death penalty for the more serious crimes. I’ve seen in other countries that it is effective!
CNS: Murder Rate of Death Penalty States Compared to Non-Death Penalty States
11.51am Have you ever been to Ireland, have you ever heard of the IRA which still exists under cover?.
They have a lot in common with our imported scum, both are cold blooded killers .
Oh dear, here we go, cos English never committed a crime, killed or starved people.
Ignorant comparison.
And your locals are not?
Um, no! I don’t want those poorly trained poc killing cops here.
@11:51 30 odd years in the Garda with the IRA border hopping all the time? I would think he has dealt with more than a few firearms incidents/murders. The IRA were slightly bigger than the plastic wannabee ‘gangsters’ we have here.
Look into Boston Ceasefire- Boston, Massachusetts. They helped Bermuda in 2011.
An Irishman who’s never seen a firearm in his life ???You obviously don’t know the history of Ireland and the IRA terror group.
read into Ireland during his time, I think he knows about guns. Man even has ties to Belfast with a degree in Violence, Terrorism and Security.
Time to put that degree and experience to good use! We need this violence handled swiftly and strongly.
His nationality has nothibg to do with it! Yeah, need a gun trigger happy American copin charge of British territory. Sigh!!
LMAO Nothing better than the Irish and the lilting accent as Jamaican accent. Weren’t the Americans first class in supporting arms and money to Ireland during the fight for freedom. No need for an American cop here but thanks!
Skyrocketing crime and violence are signs of increased financial stress and pressure.
There are simply not enough US Dollars entering our economy.
The longer time period that our borders are closed, the more strain on our society we will see.
I think you will find this crime is more a consequence of our borders being too open, rather than being too restrictive.
scare tactic
this is spot on accurate. 10 years time Cayman will be the next Jamaica at this rate. Premium American dollars will absolutely not tolerate petty crime and violence. Get your act together GCM!
My man said “premium american dollars”, as if our dollar isn’t worth 1.25 for every one of those third world USA pesos lmao
He meant the richer American people, Not the scum from Jamaica
Americans are the scum of the earth, I’d rather take my chances in Jamaica than getting killed in America by an active shooter.
For any know-it-alls who haven’t even set foot in these areas a day in their lives, please leave your braggadocious commentaries and snake oil tactics to yourself please.
Looking from outside in does not yield the full picture you think you have.
“10 years time Cayman will be the next Jamaica at this rate.”
People also said this 10 years ago
And we are getting closer every year.
some of the people were right.
And getting closer every day! And what about the government-involved opening up of the country for the not-quite-truthfull land grabs??? Will PACT go along with these people too?
I guess that’s why all Americans are going to Jamaica to spend their us currency.
You enable these loser criminals by saying that. They were and will continue to be loser criminals no matter what. Legalize weed. That’s a start.
Jamaican weed?
So explain the murders in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and the 00s? Critical thinking. Try it.