‘Winter Guardians’ placed on holiday patrol

(CNS): The RCIPS is increasing the number of foot patrols by community police officers over the holidays as part of this year’s annual safety campaign. Operation Winter Guardian began Wednesday with more officers on the beat, intensified road enforcement operations, as well as crime and road safety education and awareness campaigns.

The operation will continue throughout the holiday season and into the New Year in an effort to ensure the safety of members of the public as they do their shopping, travel the roads and enjoy festivities, police said.

“The focus of our 2021 Holiday Safety Campaign is on ensuring we have significant policing presence to provide reassurance to the public while also deterring crime, both within our communities and business locations, especially during this time of increased commercial activity, socialising, and late opening hours,” said Chief Inspector Malcolm Kay.

Community police will conduct evening foot patrols across residential communities and commercial areas in all the districts to increase visibility and provide support to residents, business owners and shoppers The Special Constabulary will be added to increase the presence of uniformed officers throughout the islands.

Chief Inspector Kay noted that these activities are a major part of police efforts year-round. “However, the festive period brings with it increased activity, which requires a more focused strategy. I would ask all members of the public to work with us, by simply following the law and behaving responsibly, especially when it comes to the Public Health Regulations in regards to COVID-19, as we continue to work to keep our communities safer,” he added.

The police also urged people to be especially cautious of financial crime, which tends to increase during the holiday season as more people shop online, creating a higher volume of transactions with debit and credit cards. The public is urged to take appropriate precautions and guard their financial information closely.

Meanwhile, on the roads Operation Quaker will also be part of the seasonal safety campaign, with the traffic unit deploying high visibility patrols and checkpoints to reduce collisions and crack down on drunk driving, distracted driving and speeding. Members of the new 2021 RCIPS Recruit Class will also be working with the units traffic officers.

Inspector Dwayne Jones, head of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit said, “As we enter the festive season, we know that social gatherings become more frequent and so the temptation to drink and drive increases. However, regardless of the time of year, drinking and driving can easily end in tragedy. If you plan to drink, you need to find an alternative to driving.”

The RCIPS also continues to support the National Drug Council in the annual Arrive Alive 345 Campaign. This includes the Designated Driver Programme, an initiative among local restaurants to offer complimentary soft drinks to designated drivers. The Purple Ribbon Bus service provides free bus service on New Year’s Eve from 9:00pm to 4:00am for all districts on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.

The RCIPS encourages drivers to take the Purple Ribbon Pledge to not drink and drive over the holiday season.

Visit the National Drug Council here for more information.

More tips on financial crime prevention can be found on the RCIPS website.