Tag: Derek Byrne
Byrne passes the baton to Caymanian CoP
(CNS): Two decades after the retirement of Buel Braggs, the only Caymanian to hold the post of RCIPS commissioner of police until now, outgoing CoP Derek Byrne literally handed the baton to the new commissioner, Kurt Walton, who has been with the service since 1986. Having been sworn into office by Acting Governor Franz Manderson […]
Police seize gun used in five killings in Jamaica
(CNS): The RCIPS has seized a firearm in the Cayman Islands that was used in at least five murders in Jamaica, according to Police Commissioner Derek Byrne. Speaking to the local press on Wednesday, less than a week before he leaves the post, Byrne said one of the many enhancements he has presided over during […]
Four groups behind robbery spike, say police
(CNS): Police believe there are at least four separate groups or individuals currently committing robberies in the Cayman Islands, and RCIPS officials told CNS that there is no evidence the people involved are from overseas or have international crime connections. There have been 30 robberies so far this year and twelve suspects have been arrested.
RCIPS task force is tackling crime wave, Cabinet told
(CNS): Cabinet members and Governor Jane Owen met with Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne on Friday to discuss the police response to the recent spike in crime, particularly armed robberies, and were told that the RCIPS plan of action is already underway with the deployment of a dedicated task force and targeted patrolling of high-risk […]
Caymanian on track to pilot police chopper
(CNS): RCIPS Auxiliary Constable Darren McLean has completed his secondment at National Helicopter Services Ltd (NHSL) in Trinidad & Tobago and is now qualified as a single-pilot captain, a major milestone in his goal to become the first Caymanian helicopter pilot in the RCIPS Air Operations Unit. McLean recently got his wings and is now […]
Special UK team to review child’s death on the Brac
(CNS): The RCIPS has commissioned a specialist UK team to review the mysterious death of two-year-old Alissady Azalea Powell last July on Cayman Brac. Over the last ten months, the police have said very little about what they believe happened to the child. But Police Commissioner Derek Byrne has now drafted an independent team, headed […]
Veteran senior local cop climbs up the ranks
(CNS): Brad Ebanks has been promoted to chief superintendent with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service by the Police Service Commission. Ebanks has been with the RCIPS for 36 years and has worked his way up the ranks. Along the way, he gained a full appreciation and understanding of the complexities and challenges of the […]
Illegal drug use in Cayman changing, warn police
(CNS): While the bulk of illegal drugs being smuggled into the Cayman Islands is still ganja, the police are seeing an increase in different types of illicit drugs on the local streets, including cocaine, opioids and illegal pharmaceuticals, the RCIPS management has said. The police are particularly concerned about the emergence of fentanyl, the potent […]
2022 terrible year for fatal road crashes
(CNS): With fifteen lives lost on the roads last year, 2022 was the worst year for fatalities since police began publicising officials statics on traffic collisions. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne described the tragic loss of life as a “red flag for all of us”, both police and drivers, […]
Crime increases by 3.5% as robberies soar in 2022
(CNS): The release of the annual crime statistics for 2022 shows that robberies soared to new highs last year, while crime in general grew by around 3.5% when compared to 2021, as the population rose again following the re-opening of the borders. But compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic, crime was down […]
CoP admits failure to enforce gambling law
(CNS): Police Commissioner Derek Byrne has admitted that law enforcement has not been doing enough to address the escalating problem of gambling, which he said is both fuelling and directly linked to other crimes. Byrne said the RCIPS needs to do more, but that community-wide tolerance of illegal gambling and inadequate consequences for anyone who […]
