Minority Cabinet votes extra $7.7M for police budget
(CNS): The minority UPM government added another CI$7.7 million to the RCIPS budget last month, just days before the release of the Pre-Election Economic and Financial Update from the finance ministry. Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson confirmed that this vote for the supplementary funding was taken into consideration in the report and is part of the $11.443 million for government personnel costs that was approved by Cabinet since the start of this year.
According to the summary of the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, 20 March, the five UPM ministers, three of whom are now members of the PPM, voted six additional appropriations for the RCIPS amounting to more than CI$7.7 million.
At the same meeting, money was reshuffled so that $600,000 that was earmarked for the Ministry of District Administration and Lands was moved to the Sister Islands Affordable Housing Programme.
CI$250,000 that was going to go to Cayman Finance and another $250,000 earmarked for supporting business initiatives were both moved and added to the Children and Family Services budget.
The new appropriations for the police and the reshuffling of cash in this year’s budget are not isolated incidents. Since the beginning of the year, the government has made a number of changes to the budget and supplementary appropriations. These included additional spending that appear to be responsible for the changes in the budget forecast and the worrying turnaround in public finances.
These changes have been made by a Cabinet that is now led by a majority of PPM members since Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, who is also the minister of finance, Deputy Premier Kenneth Bryan and Labour Minister Dwayne Seymour have all joined or re-joined the PPM since the start of the year.
They have presided over the financial changes that have led to the deficit, propped up in government by the members of the PPM on the opposition benches.
Much of the additional spending has been approved and voted for over the last few months. The additional CI$7.7 million given to the police commissioner, which has not yet been explained, was also voted on during what is now known as a period of sensitivity when the government should not be making major policy or spending decisions.
Funding the RCIPS is one of the government’s largest budget items. This year, the allocation for the police, not including the coastguard, was already the largest in history at CI$58 million, but the extra cash now means the running costs for the police this year have reached more than CI$65 million.
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Category: Crime, Government Finance, Police, Politics
Does this mean that Police vehicles will be equipped with dashcams (front and rear) as well as body cameras? If only….
Yes, but powered off on the way to lunch and back.
Is this so you can catch them doing Nothing. That would be the only reason I see any need for Cameras for them.
As far as Police from Countries other than Jamacia and Cayman. Over the 20 years I have been here I got to know a few police from the UK. Unfortunately, they all left. When I asked why they said they were fish swimming upstream, as in every time they would do anything worthy, they would be ostracized by the local Police. They also felt like they were being set up by the Local police. They all claimed they went to senior management and complained. Their complaints fell on deaf ears.
“Local” is a funny word. It’s only the last couple of years that we have had a Caymanian at the top, so your UK friends were likely complaining to Byrne – one of their own – who answers only to the Governor, who is again one of their own.
$7.7mln EXTRA equates to an additional $20,000 per full-time officer.
Can we ask why does the RCIPS need another $7.7mln on top of the $220mln a year already budgeted? Where is the annual report MD&A and financials demonstrating precisely how this colossal public budget is continuously blown without upgraded police deference presence, cold-case crime solving, and DPP conviction improvement with supporting evidentiary support? Is it just good old fashioned hush money?
Article says $58 million.
Vote all PPM OUT, They bunch of crooks only for themselves ,family and friends. They don’t care about the Country.
What are you giving to your crumbling unfit for purpose twice condemned sub standard overcrowded falling to pieces inhumane condition prison?
Yet we have people commenting that we do not need a new, fit for purpose to meet human rights standards prison. According to them, what we have is perfectly serviceable.
I don’t understand how the Governor can’t limit such actions of a minority Government, emphasis thereon. Especially so close to General Elections, especially after the pre-election audit showing an empty bag!!
Perhaps she wants Government to over-exceed PFML/A regulations and put us back where we were a decade ago, under strict fiscal observation by the OTO. That may not be bad but it reveals how bad local governance is. Not a great reputation for a financial centre.
Remember, UK will not allow us to expose it to “contingent liabilities”…..the familiar term.
My entire family has decided to support CINP. To hell with these “experienced” politicians. They have done enough damage to us!
yep…you probably voted for pact folk last time….zzzzzzzzzz
And yet these are the same imbeciles making up the leadership of the PPM!
Julie Mango (but not as sweet), Kenny Bryan (the cry baby drug dealer), John John (the donkey man), and others who are now trying to convince us to vote for them. Dammit no!
Their kind of experienced and stable stewardship is exactly what we do not need.
I will vote for anyone who is not connected in any way to PPM! They just have proven themselves untrustworthy. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Jay is still paving roads in North Side and widening the Frank Sound intersection for what??? Just spending money. The houses aren’t finished but still paving roads.
He had a super bowl party by the dock so pretty sure he will have another big party for easter. One last vote buying bash.
People don’t need parties they need jobs and they need the cost of living to come down.
How is recklessly spending money doing a good job as an MP?
he wont answer your calls but he will send a mass invite to his parties. SMH
Good! Now use that extra money to hire some REAL cops from the UK, put all the Jamaican cops in the RCIPS on traffic duty, and let the UK cops round up the drug dealers, fake-ass gangbangers, permit overstayers and the AlaKabab and convenience store bandits. REAL law enforcement officers would be able to sort out our serious crime problems in a weekend over a couple of cold ones!
I am all for bringing in Police that can do their job. It’s obvious what we have here cannot. I believe most of the new recruits over the years as well as imports are here for a pay check ONLY. There is also no doubt some of the Imported RCIPs don’t really care about law and order on Cayman. Rather than pouring good money after bad just make the people already employed do their job our get rid of them.
I would love to see the stats on RCIP’s to citizens in Cayman compared to other countries with under 90,000 citizens.
Most countries have job performance reviews. It’s obvious they don’t do that here on Cayman. If they did there would be a lot of unemployed people here. NRA comes to mind. Just look how long it takes them to build a road.
No Caymanian orJamaican cops on traffic, biggest scams going…the proof is in my hands for years and they know it and they know who they are.
Really? Somewhat naive methinks.
Obviously do not know how deep this goes and who does not want it exposed, James Bond is not going to swoop in and save Cayman. Wake up!
Keep young!
The Jamaican and cayman cops are the reason we have such an out of control dangerous issue on our roads.
Throwing more money into a leaky boat. Time to scrap the boat and get a new one. RCIPS needs a complete overhaul instead of more funding for increasing inefficiency. Start with throwing out the Jam cops and increase incentives for local recruits. We need quality policing not mediocre, lackluster coppers giving their brethren offenders a bly.
this place is doomed.
CI$65m on the the underworked, underperforming, over-staffed, incompetent police farce?????
welcome to wonderland.
If we send ponies to Parliament, why do we expect them to soar like eagles once they decide who goes to Cabinet? 🤔 We need to elect quality candidates who have a brain, otherwise we (and our children!) will end up bankrupt, ignorant and homeless.
Then DON’T vote PPM.
Dwayne soon be voted out, i think Bodden towner’s are tired of the national embarrassment where people question their intellectual capacity. Julie seems like Mother Theresa on Cayman Brac so Dan Scott will have a hard election, GT voters seem to think Kenneth is a brilliant genius and a man to whom great admiration is owed. So folks, its not looking too good, because if they all win election that’s 3 much needed seats gone to permanent poverty managers (PPM)
No, 12:05, Dwayne will not be voted out. He is supported by the Little Kingston Jamaica-Cayman Status folk that throng Bodden Town now. He looks like them, parties like them and with them, has the same attitude to women as them and loves their ghetto music. He is not going anywhere.
Please don’t insult the music
Is PPM intentionally trying to sabotage the next Government because they know they are not getting back in on 30 April?!
PPM Immigration Policy coming home to roost…
are you serious! just stop spending!
We still have 19 days, they should be able to spend at least another $100M before election day. maybe they will approve the bridge over the North Sound.
No no no I prefer the tunnel to the UK! Travellers will save $5 on trips to UK so it’s well worths the billions in investment