Police to step up visible patrols over Easter holiday
(CNS): With more traffic over the Easter holidays and criminals looking to take advantage of vacant homes as people go camping or on vacation, the police will be stepping up their patrols in communities and around campsites and on the roads. Drivers will see more police and spontaneous road checkpoints, aimed at encouraging good driving, increasing enforcement and general road safety. They are also asking people to be vigilant at campsites and keep an eye on children in particular.
Police Officers will be out and will be enforcing the Traffic Act, specifically concerning DUI and the speed limits. Officers will be conducting traffic stops to detect those drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They urged drivers not to risk having a collision or being prosecuted for DUI when they could have made alternative arrangements to get home safely.
“The preservation of life remains the RCIPS’ top goal and aim, and with road safety being a major concern in this area, we will be doing our part during the Easter Holiday, to ensure that everyone gets home safely,” said Superintendent Adrian Seales, who is in charge of Specialist Operations including the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit.
“We are asking that the community assist us by encouraging everyone they know to do the right thing and reduce their speeds and not drink and drive. The combination of speed and drinking has been the leading cause of road fatalities in the Cayman Islands over the years.”
Many families camp on the beach over Easter or travel to see family and friends. This often means homes will be left unoccupied for an extended period.
“Camping culture in the Cayman Islands has always been a time where families get together and spend quality time with each other,” the senior officer added. “Unfortunately, we have found that in the most recent years, this tradition has been sullied by those who use these activities to commit crimes and carry out other anti-social behaviour such as drug use and breaches of the peace.
“We will be actively patrolling these campsites and ask that any such activities be reported to the police by calling 911,” Yearwood said.
Community police and traffic officers are asking the public to consider the following tips to ensure safety and deter crime throughout this holiday period.
Crime Prevention Tips for Residences: If you are travelling or leaving home for an extended period, remember to:
- Update your security systems at home, ensuring that CCTV cameras are serviced and footage is stored properly with correct dates and times.
- Ask a trusted person to check on your property while you are away, or if you are not travelling off-island, check on your homes periodically.
- Ensure that all your doors and windows are properly secured before leaving home, and do not leave any valuable property visible to others from the outside.
- Call your community police officers and update them about your plans for the holidays so that your community can be considered for the RCIPS patrol strategies.
Road Safety Tips: While traversing our roadways during this Easter Holiday period, you are being reminded to:
- DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. Instead, designate a driver or make other similar plans to return home safely after any outings where you are indulging in alcoholic beverages.
- Reduce your speeds and be on the lookout for pedestrians and cyclists, especially in camping areas.
- Ensure that you give 100% of your attention to driving, and especially do not use your mobile phone while driving.
Safety Tips at Camp Sites: While you are camping with your families at various locations throughout the Cayman Islands, ensure that you:
- Pay close attention to your children while at campsites, especially if you are camping near the coast.
- Ensure that you have obtained a permit from the Public Lands Commission for any bonfires alight at campsites, that proper fire safety protocols are in place, and that fires are never left unattended.
- Assign a campsite leader who will take charge in the event of any issues that may arise.
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Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Police
I hope the police were on alert for child molestors over the long weekend.
step up. joke that is. surprised more accidents didn’t happen especially in rum point, north side, east end. yup…the police were out at noon, but at night parked at kaibo park, while motorcycles, quads drove at 80 mph with no lights, no helmets on. bring back the brits. no expat cop gunna bust expat motorcycle buddy. we done. welcome to jamrock
That ramping up of patrols did just great. Can we please have someone take the state of the roads seriously?
The roads policing currently allows for terrible driving being the norm. Kinda okay if you have 50,000 people here, but with another 30k or 40k here, who mostly drive, it’s now hell.
Crazy driving causes widespread misery. It undermines the already low opinion of the police, it causes death and destruction, with either very expensive and time consuming investigations into road deaths, or very expensive medical treatments that may be needed for the rest of someone’s life. The accidents cause road or lane closures that add to the ridiculously bad traffic we all suffer from.
The frustration is that it’s an easy issue to address. Train the police properly, if needed, embed them with UK traffic units for a couple of months. Sort out the joke of an inspection. Sort out the joke of a ‘test’ to obtain driving privileges, and sort out the taxi cartels.
The issues are simple, but somehow politically unpopular. I don’t understand, and am almost beyond caring.
How’d that work out?
Anybody seen them?
I think they stepped up invisible patrols instead!
It almost feels as though the public are continuously being asked to forfeit extra capital to suppress the police care, effort, and work that might ordinarily get done elsewhere. To accomplish so little, with so much, with little transparency of how it is spent, would be difficult without applying effort, and coordinating teams of willing accomplices.
yeah I drove down South Sound and it looked like a bunch of illegal squatters had set up camp
All they can and could ever do is and was to catch low hanging fruits!
The Compass did an excellent job on their front pages story on the driving culture problems.
Every single day, no matter the time or place, I am in the minority of drivers obeying the proper speed limits, spacing between cars, roundabout usage, stop signs rules, and indicating.
All manner of dump trucks, soccer mommy SUVs, saloons, hatchbacks, and even government vehucles including the RCIPS violate the road laws with impunity.
It’s past time to install UK style traffic cameras and add a points system for infractions, and create an impound lot for DUI dummies.
The Compass is also correct on the revenue for fines. It’s time to increase the fines.
Enough is enough!
The culture problem of lawlesness being acceptable behavior is epitomized on CMR’s post on Facebook of the dirtbike devils on Crewe Road.
The support of these antics is emblamatic of the culture that must change NOW.
True. The idiots going on about the dirt bike riders are just having fun, and basically anything to shut that down is being petty. Just no, if one of these man-children hit your car, you best hope your insurance covers you. What if they hit a member of your family? What if they cause an accident that closes a lane, or a road? What if they commit crimes and use the dirt bike to escape?
There’s lots of things you cannot do here because you live on a small island. Suck it up.
The only reason these fools seem to get a pass is due to idiotic social media showing the same brethren of idiots in the USA and beyond.
When lawlessness becomes the norm in any society, criminal activities will increase.
The Cayman Islands needs to rebuke the acceptablity of lawlessness, no matter how petty to improve society and the future for all Caymanians.
The carnage never ends. Multiple accidents and an innocent cyclist murdered by a cowardly hit and run drunk driver for the Easter holiday.
Years of passive law enforcement from the RCIPS has led to this and will lead to more misery and deaths on our roads.
Almost everyone has no fear of the fines, jail, accidents or the RCIPS actually enforcing the laws.
A sad state of affairs with no end in sight.
And we have a COP who gets defensive every time he is told a greater police presence is needed. Stop excusing him Eric Bush.Stop excusing Governor. MORE HAS TO BE DONE.
Still no statements about the latest murder?
I keep a slab of bun and cheese in the centre console of my car. If police stop me, I got my bribe ready and waiting.
No mention about littering?
No need. Does no good. Same as days permitted to camp.
It cultural.
Hey RCIPS, will you be be setting up any speed traps late at night when the most road deaths usually occur? I doubt it as I, nor anyone I know, have never seen one…hopefully you up your game.
The RCIPS was just given an additional KYD$7.7mln and for what we might reasonably ask? Are the press and public not allowed to enquire about what happened to the other $220 mln budgeted and paid that delivers near zero patrolling outside the purple ribbon days? What a disgrace.