Cops clamp down on crime in the east
Police make a traffic stop (file photo)
(CNS): Police officers patrolling the eastern districts of Grand Cayman have been rounding up criminals and ticketing rogue drivers in a campaign to step up enforcement on the road and in the community and clamp down on crime. Over the last week, ending on Sunday 28 February, police responded to 77 incidents, made 11 arrests, issued 58 traffic prosecutions and served 31 summons across Bodden Town, East End and North Side. People were arrested for drug-related offences and outstanding warrants, as well as driving under the influence of booze. One person was also arrested for burglary and stolen property was recovered.
“Through more strategic patrol patterns and targeted traffic operations, we have found that both our targeted and proactive enforcement is becoming more productive,” said Chief Inspector Frank Owens, who is now the Area Commander for the Eastern Districts. “My current focus is on burglary and the illegal and dangerous riding of motorcycles and dirt bikes, which is an obnoxious nuisance affecting the quality of life of residents in the area.”
With officers increasing road enforcement, on Sunday alone 19 tickets were handed out and four people in two different cars were arrested for drug-related offences. Owens said the weekend operations would continue.
“Speeding and driving under the influence are two main complaints from residents regarding road traffic on weekends and we intend to send a message that the Eastern Districts are not a place for weekend drinking and racing,” the senior cop warned.
Please do something about these guys riding these loud dirt bikes in George Town and on the west bay road bypass as well. The whole island’s quality of life is affected by them. It should be illegal to ride those things on the road… especially at 3am.
If the Police didn’t start to remove those lunatics out of the road and confiscate his “machines” very soon people will find to they are very good shooting targets and the hunting season will be open for dirt bikers…
I’m really glad to see the RCIP decided to do their job, now can they do the same all over the island not just East End. On a daily basis the public can see other drivers breaking the law (speeding, driving carelessly, no plates on motorcycles, cars clearly not roadworthy) so why can’t the RCIP be visible on our roads daily to catch these offenders???
I was at the KES concert Friday night just standing on the edges of the crown and it was shocking the amount of persons just smoking a spliff of Ganja without worry! It was windy that night and needless to say we were all getting high as the scent blew across the way ! I am glad to say these were not Caymanians there were expats for sure and not tourists either and…. boy bold at that too! why no undercover police at these concerts? This is the 2nd and 3rd time I have witnessed this.
Pot is the least of anyones problem. Hope the 2nd hand smoke helped you to lighten up.
Good Job I wish they would address the covers over license plates which are illegal and cant be read. If you have an accident – hit or run, crime in progress getaway car you cant identify the plate or say irresponsible and dangerous driving (speeding or DUI) you cant report it. Please take these covers off ASAP.
Also the extra dark tint! when did that become legal? I remember back in the day they would stop you and pull it off right there and then if it was too dark! REMOVE IT!
How about someone starts to enforce traffic laws amongst our visitor population? Far too many of the cars speeding around NS/EE are hire cars driven by predominately US drivers who seem to think local laws don’t apply to them. Many of them are obviously incapable of driving on the left, using roundabouts, observing speed limits or using any form of road sense or directional warning.
I know we also have a massive problem with incompetent local drivers, third world driving by some WP holders and lunatics on motorcycles, but here on NS/EE it would appear that the RCIPS are incapable or unwilling to enforce respect for our local laws amongst visitors.
Not sure where you live, but I see tourists mostly driving really slow. Take a look at all the accidents – the dented cars left abandoned off the road, killed drivers or who is running over pedestrians – they are NOT tourists.
Until we stop pointing the finger at others and start looking in the mirror, our social problems will continue. “Its not me, its them” is all too common, unfortunate and does noting to improve life here.
I wish they’d been there yesterday when this little tiny red box of a car ‘flew’ past me in solid line of traffic on a narrow road past double yellow lines and into oncoming traffic not far from Savannah Primary School …what an a** !!
About damned time they got back to enforcing. It was a stupid idea to dismantle the traffic department and drug task force in the first place. Look at the amount of incidences they dealt with in the eastern districts alone! Good job… long over due… but good job none the less. Enforcement of these two areas will do us all a world of good.
Please do something about these guys riding these loud dirt bikes in George Town and on the west bay road bypass as well. The whole island’s quality of life is affected by them. It should be illegal to ride those things on the road… especially at 3am.
Don’t worry – they’ll soon be doing what ordinary cyclists do – Riding on the wrong side of the Road (or are they already doing that??) – Nearly had one (bicycle) hit me the other day flying past a car park entrance/exit without looking. I suppose the Police will just ignore them the same way anyway ! Wonder what would happen if I started driving my car on the wrong side of the Road ??
Right back at ya – ‘troll’ yourself
“Nearly had one (bicycle) hit me the other day flying past a car park entrance/exit without looking.”
You “nearly had one hit” you as you were pulling out of a car park? Is that it?
In other words, you pulled out into the street without looking for oncoming traffic, and were nearly hit.
Is it normal for traffic on the road to yield to traffic entering the road from a car park?
No , 8:41 you duffus !!! I was at the exit when this bike came flying along ON the sidewalk and tried to fly round the front of me – barely missing me. Don’t just invent your own scenarios in order to try and get ‘one-upmanship’ – Maybe you were the cyclist ?? !! Sounds like you have that mentality !
8.41 – when the traffic is riding on the wrong side of the road Yes !!
Inspector Gadget’s ‘away with the fairies’ again
“Please do something about these guys riding these loud dirt bikes in George Town and on the west bay road bypass as well. The whole island’s quality of life is affected by them. It should be illegal to ride those things on the road… especially at 3am.”
Lol really? The island’s quality of life is affected by them? How so, if that is the case I guess the rest of world is shit then. These guys don’t ride their bikes on the road to cause trouble, they ride them to their riding spots and stay there which is off the road and in a secluded area where there are no homes or traffic/main roads and then ride them back home or try to in peace without some maniac trying to hit them! Maybe the government should try investing in something or somewhere that is acceptable for them to ride and for people who discriminate against them like you. If you looked into this carefully instead of being bias you would see that this is a hobby/sport that keeps a lot of these kids who grow into it out of trouble. They also make it their priority to clean up the areas they do find to ride with each other that is safe and away from main roads and continue to keep them clean on a regular basis until some prick gets ahold of their riding spot and makes a compliant because that same prick has nothing else to do with their time or life but complain – like you.
Why are you even awake at 3 in the morning, what are you up doing, def not riding for sure so lol can’t be anything good because no darn bike can wake me them hours…..I love my sleep!!
Hey Captain Obvious… I am not awake at 3am in the morning… I am WOKEN from sleep because of the jack nut riding the loud bike through a residential area.
Obviously you are one of the losers riding these damned things. Here’s a clue for you… stop expecting our government to build something for you to enjoy your personal hobby. Put your stupid bikes in the back of a truck and transport them to the places that you go riding. Also, do you need to congregate on the west bay road bypass and pop wheelies down the road in traffic? I don’t see any of the people who ride them as being “positive influences”. Inconsiderate, reckless driving, stunts on the road… all illegal. So they are not “staying out of trouble”. Why do Caymanians feel the government must “build something” for any obscure interest that small but very vocal pockets of our population seem to have?
Ever since the documentary 12 O’clock boys was released there is an increase of this street riding. Baltimore (where the documentary was filmed) is now looking to BAN these riders because IT IS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE of the residents who can’t enjoy their neighborhoods because of a handful of inconsiderate people on dirt bikes.
By the way, “I love my sleep too bredren but can’t get any with deez flipping ‘ motabikes going up ‘n down the road all d’time.”
Also, I’ve seen the YouTube videos of the dirt bike gang (yes I have done my research on your 345 Havocs) doing “clean up” in one residential area. Picking up 18 bags of garbage does not entitle you to subsequently create NOISE POLLUTION in an area where you own no home, pay any mortgage or own any land. You are disturbing the peace but your too inconsiderate and selfish to realize that.
I’ve also seen the YouTube videos of China being split open and stupid stunts on the road. Someone will either kill themselves or an innocent driver/family one day.
Hey Captain Moron,
I don’t even know how to ride a damn bike I just don’t discriminate like you. Everyone has their own thing to do and just because you don’t like these “dirt bikes” doesn’t mean you have put your hog mouth all up in their business, I mean come on even doing research on them lol obviously you have too much free time for someone who doesn’t even like dirt bikes.
Get a life…..simple
The government doesn’t have to invest in something for them it was just put out there, they once had the bike and car racing area, you should have come across that when all up the research.
Anyhow bredrin, get ya rest, take sleeping pills or something cause sound like you one miserable %^&* that don’t have nothing else to do but focus on next man and what they do….
Okay, do that every weekend for 3 weeks, then shift to a rotating daily team doing the se thing and all crime will disappear. It starts with the 58 tickets issued (I was one of them and knew my tags were expired) next activate our darn dog catcher and enforce animal control. Organize large public watch groups and put some darn public notices in the newspaper! The community WILL support you now that you are supporting us!
A few social enforcement plans will make huge impacts… Start with real neighborhood patrols, keep up the traffic stops, get kids out of gangs, and get community involved.
In breaking news, RCIP does what it is supposed to do.
I find this really odd. Cayman is a really small Island by any account, why would we not clamp down on crime Island wide. What is the purpose of this announcement for the East. How about cracking down on crime in Cayman generally. And by the way, I live in Prospect and you can hear motorbikes and cars roaring along and racing at night at top speed. I noticed the traffic cops (sitting in a Land Rover nonetheless) on South Sound road at 8:30 am during peak traffic hours trying to catch speeders on their way to work. Why not aim to do that at night on the bypasses. Or does this operation only work during normal business hours? I know the police have a hard job but we have to wonder about these things sometimes.
The Police check point at Frank Sound was a welcome sight, albeit disorganized when I went through. There needs to be a 3-7pm Sunday team operation on ETH to nab the torrents of rice rockets coming in and out of West Bay in top gear. Hint: conceal yourselves a bit better. One officer mans the speed gun, additional units standby to intercept. Both directions. That’s how it’s done. The racing will be especially bad this coming weekend with the lane closures.