CRIMINALS MUST LEARN THE HARD WAY THAT CRIME DOESN’T PAY

By Staff Writer

In July 2021, Hon. Premier Wayne Panton, in response to an upsurge in the scale of the violence, convened an emergency meeting with HE Governor Martyn Roper and all members of Parliament during which they were briefed by Police Commissioner Derek Byrne on what the Premier described as “this grave situation.”

“Stop the bloodshed,” he pleaded following several deadly crimes.

That was 18 months ago.

Since then, what appeared to have been an initial brief lull has escalated to a worrying level with a spate of armed robberies on businesses and civilians, much of it said to be linked to illegal gambling.

In this Christmas season which is supposed to be even more of a time of goodwill than other times of the year, our community continues to be plagued by this scourge.

The reports coming from the RCIPS should be of great concern to all and sundry. This cannot be allowed to go on.

The global perception of Cayman is that of a welcoming, peaceful, tolerant and safe society. There’s too much at stake; both for the safety and security of residents as well as our visitors on whom our economy and livelihoods depend.

We welcome the joint statement by HE Governor Martyn Roper, Hon. Premier Wayne Panton and Hon. Opposition leader Roy McTaggart on working together to combat the rise in robberies.

We also welcome the news that the RCIPS has deployed additional resources, both overtly and covertly, including additional Officers with firearms to protect the community and arrest those responsible for the robberies.

We also welcome the offer by Crime Stoppers of an award of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these robbers.

This situation requires all hands on deck to stamp it out once and for all.

Alongside efforts to ‘come down hard’ on the perpetrators of these ‘crimes against Cayman’, we must also look into programs to steer those engaged in such a negative and dangerous lifestyle of crime onto a path of rehabilitation to make them useful, law-abiding citizens.

In the meantime, no stone must be left unturned to reverse this situation, which could quite easily spiral out of control.

We fully endorse the position adopted by the Government and law enforcement and supported by the Opposition.

“The Cayman Islands Government has zero tolerance towards crime and we will work with the RCIPS to prevent further escalation of any activity that incites fear and anguish in our communities. Again, we implore everyone to cooperate with the police, and proactively offer any information that could assist in ongoing investigations. We deserve to enjoy the holiday season, including shopping for gifts for our loved ones, without the fear of being a victim of crime.”

Finally, to the offenders of these crimes – we join in urging you to consider the consequences of your actions.

“Our prisons are filled with persons who thought they would never be caught for their acts. Do not mistake short-term gains from these horrible and nefarious activities for success. Justice will be served and the penalties will indeed be appropriate for the level of distress and harm being caused to the citizens of our community.”