Coastguard’s independence set in law

| 06/10/2021 | 29 Comments
Cayman News Service
Cayman Islands Coast Guard vessel, Guardian

(CNS): The independence of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard has now been formalised after the legislation to create the country’s newest law enforcement and rescue agency passed through Parliament with full support on both sides of the House. The debate on the bill was sandwiched between legislation for the work permit vaccine mandate, so the political consensus was overshadowed by controversies relating to those immigration bills. Nevertheless, the coastguard, which was established under the previous administration, has cross-party support.

Panton explained the functions of the new non-military uniform service, which range from protecting the country’s shoreline from illegal drug importation to marine rescue.

The premier revealed that the current membership of the guard is 100% Caymanian and that the law would ensure its independence from the police. While the police commissioner was previously overseeing the agency, the law now separates it from that oversight with its own commander.

See the legislation here or in the CNS Library.


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Category: Coast Guard, Crime, Laws, Politics

Comments (29)

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  1. Orrie Merren says:

    Now if legislation would expressly recognize the “independence of the Bar” (legal profession).

  2. Anonymous says:

    More expenditure without any clue how it will be paid for.

    • Anonymous says:

      The only reason for operational independence is so that they have no duty to collaborate with existing law enforcement agencies, channels, and hierarchies or report to them, and we get to pay for it too.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I call the nuclear submarine pilot job.

  4. Anonymous says:

    North Sound will be secure then.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Can we get an airforce & fighter jets next plss Mr. Panton.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Can we Legalize Cannabis and stop letting the gov import guns and coke into the country.
    For every drug boat stopped 10 more get in.

    War on drugs is a failure and always has been.

    The people are paying for this.

    • Anonymous says:

      In other news the price of weed is the lowest I’ve seen it in years, and the quality of locally grown got better exponentially after covid. yawn. they really think keeping it illegal stops consumption…

  7. Capt Nemo says:

    Does the Guardian have underwater radar, this is essential in view of the Coastguard’s past record in running boats onto the reef?.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Caymanian Coast guard independence from RCIPS ensures that it can be infiltrated and undermined by local narco economy elite. Ensures it’s an unanswerable sham agency and money sinkhole before the first boat leaves port.

    • Tiger says:

      Is the Coast Guard really free to break the law? Where does this information come from?

      • Anonymous says:

        They won’t share command and reporting structure to the P&L they will be operating from. That’s your first clue that this is hierarchy layout is suspect…planed and approved by last administration firms that up.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Wow. This is so cool.

    Now can we get some boring rules and regs?

    50 years to late of course.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Hopefully their drug evidence locker is more secure than the One the RCIPS have

  11. Anonymous says:

    How many members of this coast guard can swim?

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