Armed robbery at Al la Kebab
(CNS): Two men, both armed with guns and with their faces covered, robbed the Al la Kebab food stand on Lawrence Boulevard off West Bay Road last night. Police said that at around 8:20 yesterday evening, 3 April, the 911 Communications Centre dispatched police to a report of an armed robbery at the location, where officers were told that an employee of the food stand was hit with a gun during the incident. The robbers also demanded a wallet from a customer before running down Lawrence Boulevard in the direction of Camana Bay, firing one shot into the air.
Anyone with information is urged to call George Town CID at 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided via the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS).
As a former regular customer of this establishment, I always knew that the lax policing would eventually lead to this kind of event. We have men and women who dress up nicely in their uniform trying to posture and intimidate those who either ask them to do the right thing (e.g., do not park in handicap spots or talk on your phone while driving, etc.). However we cannot get them to display an ounce of responsibility or respect towards every citizen regardless of standing in their daily interactions (despite their own RCIPS code of behavior/conduct/responsibility. Now while I do not know the exact name of it, I am sure that it does not state anywhere that they shall be placed above the law and the citizens of this territory.
Now before someone further rejoices about Baines’ departure and the alleged changes it will bring, accept that the same poor attitude towards citizens existed prior to his arrival because as a community we have let these things take root and grow like a cancer. Many of us have witnessed or even experienced the lack of professionalism, outright hostility, and blatant bullying of members of the RCIPS whether we want to admit it or not. I know about the things that I have seen including:
A senior officer hosting a drinking party for his fellow officers which ended with many taking to our roads after far more drinks than they should.
An officer threatening to assault my neighbor because of his refusal to agree to give over his deeded parking spot to the officer for whenever he wanted it. The officer complained about needing to park off the street when he visited his girlfriend while on duty.
An officer nearly assaulting the victim of a crime because the person dared speak up when the officer was trying to release an assailant for some unknown reason despite witnesses present picking the man out.
There is more but what difference does it make to write it as there does not appear to be much will to change in this community by police who should enforce the laws or parents who should raise their children to be productive, moral citizens. Unfortunately, we are in far more trouble than we realize. God bless us all.
You can come to my restaurant and feel safe, I have my security armed 24/7/365 , and they ask no questions when you are dressed with a hoddy or mask , they call 911 after .
During the 1990s, crime rates in New York City dropped dramatically, even more than in the United States as a whole. Violent crime declined by more than 56 percent in the City, compared to about 28 percent in the nation as whole. Property crimes tumbled by about 65 percent, but fell only 26 percent nationally.
Many attribute New York’s crime reduction to specific “get-tough” policies carried out by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s administration. The most prominent of his policy changes was the aggressive policing of lower-level crimes, a policy which has been dubbed the “broken windows” approach to law enforcement. In this view, small disorders lead to larger ones and perhaps even to crime. As Mr. Guiliani told the press in 1998, “Obviously murder and graffiti are two vastly different crimes. But they are part of the same continuum, and a climate that tolerates one is more likely to tolerate the other.”
Shorter-term, we need a CoP that understands that vehicles need to be on patrol in our communities so that they can be quickly dispatched from around the corner and another one coordinated from up the street to block the exit, and maybe a third from the other direction to prevent the escape. The lone cruiser arriving 20 minutes after the fact, does nothing to apprehend our problem. We need modern urban tactical response – including RCIPS motorbikes to get the unmuffled dirt bike gangsters that menace everyone.
Longer-term, we need support apparatus for at-risk youth. Mental health and family services depts that will get tough with absentee parents. 3000 of 5000 enrolled high schoolers have been suspended in the last 3 years. That’s pretty damning and doesn’t bode well for the future.
Brilliant post. I read an article on the broken windows approach to policing years ago. It was the then chief of police of NY city that brought it in. Went after fare cheaters on the subways. Petty theft. Traffic violations. This all led to catching bigger fish and removing the feeling among the public that they could do whatever they wanted to with impunity.
It isn’t always about busting high profile crimes. For Cayman it should start with tinted windows and license plates. Reckless driving. Parking where ever you want including handicap spots! RCIP are you listening. We are fed up! Get with the times. Your policing methods are archaic.
Another theory is that access to abortion was responsible for the drop in crime rates i.e. reduction in unfit parents and not police action was responsible for the reduction:
“Donohue and Levitt point to the fact that males aged 18 to 24 are most likely to commit crimes. Data indicates that crime in the United States started to decline in 1992. Donohue and Levitt suggest that the absence of unwanted children, following legalization in 1973, led to a reduction in crime 18 years later, starting in 1992 and dropping sharply in 1995. These would have been the peak crime-committing years of the unborn children.
The authors argue that states that had abortion legalized earlier should have the earliest reductions in crime. Donohue and Levitt’s study indicates that this indeed has happened: Alaska, California, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Washington experienced steeper drops in crime, and had legalized abortion before Roe v. Wade”
I am not advocating for abortion but their are clearly serious issues around proper parenting and secure family life in Cayman where it is common for teens to have children and for mothers to continue to have numerous children by numerous different men who are not present in their children’s lives. Bad, unprepared, unstable parents create the climate for criminality – its time to look at our “baby momma/Baby daddy” culture and start doing something to break the cycle.
Police detect crimes – bad parents produce criminals.
What I find most alarming about this is the confidence of these two low-lifes. Clearly they have no fear of detection by man (nor fellow beast) – and certainly not the police. How can we tout ourselves as a safe tourist destination when on an islands 28 by 12 we have two armed robberies of tourist-type eateries within as many weeks, and one at 8.30pm with a shot being fired in the air just for the hell of it for goodness sake! (What is this, the Wild West?) And I don’t know about you, but I have less than zero confidence in them ever being caught. This really is a very dire situation calling for radical action from the authorities. The present policing model is simply not working.
The comments here clearly show the problem in Cayman…. it is always someone else’s fault.
Why not support the police and give them information rather then blaming them for your problems. Furthermore, every time a person is caught, the jury let’s these people off for some obscure detail.
As a matter of perspective, Cayman is smaller in size and population than some universities…. the fact that there is any crime is frightening. People know who are doing these crimes. Name and shame them…after all, these people are stealing your livelihood and your futures… don’t you see that?
Nobody is blaming the police, but rather the present policing methods. Look, it is just not working, okay? So time for a different strategy.
Ah yes, the RCIPS… “Risking Cayman Islands People’s Safety”… one crime at a time…
Police don’t rob people.. People rob people! Stop distracting attention from the fact that another robbery has taken place involving guns! Police cannot stop crime unless they are very lucky/hungry.. Police clean up and react after the fact.. No cameras operating since 2004 and no security.. that might help some..
They do when they don’t do their job properly
Can CNS report RCIPS response time to this crime? Or, did an officer just happen to drop by for a lamb wrap shortly afterward?
Romans 1:21-22 (KJV)
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
I’ve noticed a trend within most of the armed robberies over the past few years – two men, whose descriptions tend to be similar throughout. These robberies occur in a spate then “quiet” down. Clearly they seem to have a “working relationship” suggesting that they have done similar robberies before. They do not seem to be the average crackhead or pothead.
Is it possible that these robbers travel into and out of Cayman at will, to do their deeds? If based here, could they be “disciplined” persons who have trained and worked together, professional enough to strike then lay low for a while? Is it possible they could be security officers, off-duty RCIPS officers, “professional types” who no one would suspect?
One way to know who they are is for someone to be willing to take actions which will require an ambulance to come for them when they try to rob. One day they will rob the wrong place!!
I have to agree with you 6:39. I too wonder about these two criminals. I have also noticed that there isn’t no mention on accent in this case, and a few in the past. Did they not speak? What was their description?
Hmmmm.
I’m sure you would really like to think that these two are from off the island, that they aren’t drug addicts or drug dealers, that they are off duty cops or God knows whatever other fantasy you can think up, but as we have seen time and again they are probably born and raised Caymanians. If you REALLY want to clean up this place stop blaming the cops, the foreigners, and everyone else, stop blogging at home and posting useless opinions, and join organizations like Youth ACT or some other charity working on youth issues or volunteer at a school. This is not about bad policing or even bad governance, 90% of our crime is about bad parenting.
Yep its definitely the crappy parenting that is creating criminals however, considering the cops can’t really do much about that do you not think that they might consider coming up with some strategies that might make it a little harder for the criminals to evade capture? Or to at least make a criminal think that their is a chance they might get caught?
I am an ex-pat who has been here for 8 years. When people visit me they are often amazed that they have been here for weeks without seeing a single police officer – they ask me if it is just so safe that we don’t need police? LOL!
The truth is our policing is ridiculously low visibility and so criminals figure they are highly unlikely to be caught red-handed – their is always plenty of time to make your get away before the cops respond to the report 14 hours later.
The first thing the cops need to do is secure the tourist hot spots – Seven Mile Beach and rum point – without these tourists coming here for a nice safe holiday and spending their $ Cayman will not have the funds it needs to pay for education and family services it desperately needs to prevent kids becoming criminals in the first place.
FYI: selling out and moving.
CIG, Governor and RCIP don’t know how to deal with this. No place is safe if they will rob at 8:30pm on a Sunday and fire shots in the air too. So lets get this straight Friday Night fights at Funky Tangs, Saturday night fights on Dr. Roy’s drive and Sunday night armed robberies on Seven Mile Beach. Pulse break-ins and fights all of Easter weekend. CIG nor Governor has public addressed the issue as a problem. Cayman Islands = Lawless.
The last time I checked it was the people of the Cayman Islands who voted for the members of the CIG. Blame yourselves for the lack of CIG involvement.
Y’all put them there….
It really looks like all the good people of Cayman Islands are going to have to show the Governor and Government and police that there’s a BIG CRIME PROBLEM , and we want the crime stopped by the way of every person protesting against crime , and everyone make a promise to the police that they would work with them regardless of who the criminal is , and stay by your promise .
If the people don’t act now the CRIME ISSUE is going to get worse .
Treason! Their is no crime or corruption here… Last night’s incident at ala kebab was just a training exercise to make sure everyone knows what to do in case they get caught up in an armed robbery while visiting one of those crime riddled areas like Honduras, Jamaica or Rum Point.
This is a petty crime.
Not to the employees. That kind of traumatic experience can have a lasting effect.
Say what. A petty crime You are an idiot
Again as I said this before…Cayman can be safer again by report to TIPS number as someone knew who it is…..brothers sisters parents close friends etc. Even better report TIPS when you heard or know someone who have firearms. STOP bury your head in the sand. I am willing to report police anything even it is my son. I want Cayman to be safe place to enjoy our life not criminals overrun the island. Police can’t do it by themselves.
Sad part is that the police often screw things up when reporters are made. This reduces confidence in their abilities.
I’m speaking from experience here.
The Governor and the RCIPS are the ones to address crime but who are they accountable to, the UK FCO? If Alden and the PPM are just as powerless as the people that got robbed (that could not do a thing to avoid or stop it), do we need to change something perhaps? How long are you all going to wait or point the finger at others before you do something? What a useless bunch!
I guess we need to seriously think about grocery shopping and eating at our resort more and more. Too bad because we enjoy visiting the local restaurants. However we will not put our lives in danger. With all that Dart money being passed around on the Island, why can’t some of it going to protected the citizens and visitors?
This is getting serious and I don’t see it getting better before it gets much worse.
Another serious crime in the early evenings – clearly someone feels very comfortable that they won’t be caught and convicted and doesn’t give a shit of the trauma imposed on innocent individuals caught up in this mess.
But hey, let’s keep sticking our heads in the sand and keep up the usual bullshit mantra of “we are still better than Jamaica”!
We are rapidly becoming Jamaica.
That was exactly my point! Many people here are completely in denial over the state of matters and god forbid we would ever compare ourselves to a reputable jurisdiction/country – instead, we keep pretending we are still the best of the Caribbean…
The best in the Caribbean is a pretty low bar. We should be able to compare ourselves favorably with Switzerland, Finland and Singapore.
Say they didn’t get the chili sauce???
Or the sweet donair!
Or the jerk mayo?!
Scary to see so many armed robberies at places we regularly go to…or used to go to!
Obviously crime is not a problem for the Governor and the ppm government led by the Premier. To them everything is normal and under control so let’s just ignore facts and daily occurrences of serious criminal activities until somebody gets killed in a home invasion or robbery. So sad to see what Cayman is becoming.
Its a good ting Baines is going, soon come we put a Jamaican/Cayman in charge. We may still git alot of crime, but at least it wont be reported.
Hasn’t this place been hit before?? I cant remember seeing security or even a police car any time i have went there.
I saw police there a few times, sitting their car in front of the place looking at the drunk females after the clubs let out. Seriously….
They have security on the weekends late at night but this was Sunday at 8 pm so they probably wouldn’t have anybody at that time.
Not that it would make a difference given that the robbers had guns.
This crime seems to match almost exactly what happened to Alfresco a couple weeks ago:
https://caymannewsservice.com/2016/03/wb-restaurant-robbed-by-armed-gang/
This needs to be addressed quickly with these jokers arrested and thrown in jail.
Just another reason NOT to spend your hard earned travel dollars going to Cayman. These incidents are happening several times each week on an island with only 50,000. I’ll pass.
Cool. Have fun in all the other ‘safe’ Caribbean islands. Try Bahamas! Heheh
I think you might find a quick Google search will give you the way scarier crimes in other Caribbean islands.
Good luck with that.
The poster is correct, Cayman has a very small population, 65,000 or less, and for the frequency of gun and other types of crimes taking place with such a small population, that’s very worrying. The Bahamas has around 300,000 so crime is expected to be higher there… Of all the remaining B. O. T’s in the Caribbean I can safely bet that Cayman has the highest crime rate… That’s very worrying.
We were the victim of a home invasion on Cayman with our children and elderly parents – that is a scary crime. But I don’t disagree that other Caribbean islands have a huge problem with crime – but that is why we chose to come to your beautiful island for weeks at a time for the last decade. But now we won’t come back. If the ‘safest’ island can make you the victim of a home invasion at 11pm on a Friday night then it’s time to rethink what ‘safest’ really means. My heart goes out to all the people living there who don’t have the choice to leave and live in fear. No one should have to live worried about a home invasion or a robbery at a restaurant, liquor store or grocery store during their daily lives. I do hope things improve for you all.
Yea you may either get run over when crossing the road, or hit over the head with a gun butt for your last $5 and your iPhone.
I would pass too
So why the hell are you on a cayman islands new site. Omg our lives will never be great if you don’t come here. Please come here. Please please please we are begging you almighty one. Save us.
…says the local trash who want everybody to stoop to their level of degeneracy.
Because we own property there after being long time visitors to the country for many many years . . . And are selling after being the victim of a home invasion. I hope that answers your question but thank-you for listening to my opinion without judgment as I have done yours. And I do agree that the Caribbean in general has a huge issue with safety. But interestingly enough of all the places in the Caribbean we have travelled including five countries the only place we have been the victim of any crime is Cayman. And not just any crime but a home invasion with our children and elderly parents with us.
Alden? Care to address the crime rate? No? As usual, quiet as a church mouse, I see.
caymaicans or jaymanians
NO! BORN CAYMANIANS, WITH BOTH PARENTS FRAM YA!
So you know who they are and are not reporting it?
yep….. i have around 35,000 suspects…..
How do you know they are Jamaican? That is the only nationality here in those numbers.
Thanks Mac!
Americans are the biggest criminals in the world. And american will fall. I want to be alive to see it.
Not if I see you first
you see me everyday
Could also be Caydurians or Honmanians but the day you see crimes committed by Philimanians or Caypinoes then you know we done.
Immigranians
I would bet my house that the robbers were not British, Canadian, American or South African though…
Or Jordanian!