Cops choked over chopper
Posted on Thu, 07/26/2012 - 15:54 in Crime
(CNS): Only two weeks after the RCIPS announced that officers had been trained as first medical responders so the police helicopter could be used as an air ambulance, the police management are seeking urgent clarification from government about the future of the crime fighting machine. An RCIPS spokesperson said Thursday that there had been no discussion between the police and the government about the sale of the helicopter. The premier announced he would be selling the controversial chopper in order to save more than $1.7 million per year during his address to the nation on Wednesday regarding new taxes and spending cuts for his 2012/13 budget.
Bush said government had agreed with the expenditure review committee, which was set up to identify savings to the public purse, that the police helicopter should be sold as “it is simply unaffordable to this country”.
In the wake of the announcement the police said that the RCIPS had not been consulted about the impact of the helicopter’s loss to policing in the Cayman Islands.
“The sale of the police helicopter has not been discussed, nor has the impact of its loss been the subject of any input by the RCIPS,” a spokesperson stated. "The loss of the Air Operations Unit would have a considerable impact on our ability to maintain our current level of operational effectiveness. Equally it would negate the extension of its service as an air ambulance, which was so recently introduced. We are seeking urgent clarification from government on this matter.”
Less than two weeks ago Police Commissioner David Baines had described the chopper as transforming policing in the Cayman Islands and that there could be no doubt that the helicopter was an important resource, as he talked about how the RCIPS was learning more and more how it could best utilize the machine and ensure it provided value for money to the public purse.
Baines said it had proved an invaluable tool in the fight against serious crime, drug interdiction and had also saved lives. He said the helicopter was instrumental in apprehending one of the robbery suspects in the recent bank heist in Buckingham square and had helped police locate suspects on many other occasions.
The recent training of police officers to become medical responders is part of a larger project involving HSA staff which will see the helicopter utilized as an air ambulance.
Email this pageViewpoints
Latest Classifieds
- Work permit as Online Investor (Personal Investor)
- House for sale - Mt Pleasant WB
- \'09 Honda Fit 4sale
- New Blackberry Q10 Gold Plated and Gold Porsche Design (24 HRS BBM Chat:295941E1)
- Town - Extra Large Bedroom with XL Walk-in Closet
- ONE BEDROOM SHARING $325.00
- CINSA RElays
- Retirement plan
- Make Money Now - Easy as ever
- Stainless Steel Electric Stove & Electric Water Heater for SALE
Comment Policy
The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of CNS or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by CNS. Read more
Recent Comments
- I think she just needs to
17 hours 59 min ago - Ok, privateers and then
18 hours 4 min ago - I have to say the comments
18 hours 7 min ago - This must be a joke
18 hours 12 min ago - How do you know she didn't?
18 hours 20 min ago - We love porn. That is why.
18 hours 32 min ago - You see that is how American
18 hours 33 min ago - Thank you for the comments
18 hours 35 min ago - Greed? One of the effects of
18 hours 36 min ago - Except that too would be
18 hours 38 min ago
Search
Follow CNS via ...
Facebook Twitter RSS
Comments
Why get the chopper if it is
Why get the chopper if it is going to be sold?
Better than choking on
Choking on donuts! You must
I do't blame the Premier.
I do't blame the Premier. Sell the helicopter, the Water Authority and Sewage plant, privatize the port authority, airline, healthcare, prison, fire service, garbage collection, schools incuding UCCI and then we will not have to worry about the budget or having to pay taxes. Some Caymanians are so help bent on no taxes that they would rather cut the civil service and layoff Caymanians and watch crime increase rather than to use the dreaded "Tax" word.
Anon 1401 I wish it was that
Anon 1401 I wish it was that simple to privatise the Government. It is the way to go. What some are not realizing is that Government is comprised of a lot of departments which do not generate a lots of funds. But society must have them. An excellent example is the prison. This means that Government must hold on to money making attrative assets to pay for those other services.
The Government has spent the last few years trimming all the excess fat, we down to bone now in some departments. However departments like police continues to grow as in recent years we have had a crime surge. So the response would be to give the police more to work with. So we are running out of options in terms of cutting the CS other than to privatise.
Other options might be a lottery, gambling or income or land taxs, but the first two is is similar to the cutting of the cs in that the churchs will not approve and will not vote for them. The second two starts to mess with your tax haven reputation and in land taxs there are a number of wealthy individuals that will fight to the end.
A helicopter can be an
A helicopter can be an invaluable asset to a professional and efficient crime fighting police service. Unfortunately we don't have one, so yeh sell it.
If the Premier used the
If the Premier used the helicopter for his personal private means of transportation he's work the cost of it into his proposed budget.
Just think --- We could name it Air Farce One
Hahaha!
I heard that Lord Dart asked
I heard that Lord Dart asked for a helicopter for his birthday and Mac is going to deliver one to him.....just sayin'.
as i recall dan dugay
This is better than a soap
This is better than a soap opera
The UK never suggested
The UK never suggested taxation, all they suggested was that the Finance Minister would need to broaden the revenue base to afford the current pace of wastage; most significantly, the some $25mln/year in interest service payments we are obliged to pay them.
It would be nice to review a balance sheet of all of the revenues and expenditures of the CIG, and weigh each item on a cost benefit analysis with some rational thought. I think we'd find the utility of spending $1.8mln on the Police chopper far outstrips the relative cost of say the many many frivolous million dollar expenditures that go completely unchecked or queried by the voters.
For example: $13mln on free solar panels is 6 years of Chopper interdiction, air ambulance, and rescue. Which would be better for the people of the Cayman Islands?
We don't need a police or
We don't need a police or resuce helicopter.
We don't have any crime. XXXX
We don't have any people that get lost at sea, After all. this is an island and everyone knows how to swim and there aren't any water accidents that require quick response.
And NOBODY ever goes missing from their homes or public places.
Nothing ever gets robbed especially during the daylight hours.
NO, no need for anyone to be looked for - criminal or victim.
No need at all for a police/rescue helicopter.
End sarcasm.
Thank you for pointing out
Mac is killing this country.
Mac is killing this country. "sure lets see, I'll cut the helicopter that helps to fight the increasing crime. Also, let's go ahead and impose a tax that will casue the economy of the island to implode causing more unemployment and a much higher rate of crime"
Uneducated logic at its finest
Govt. should have
Govt. should have negociated/stuck with the local operator to begin with.
Police had use of the local private helicoptor and pilot when needed....but couldn't satisfy and wanted their own.
Just think of the increased cost of purchasing, refitting, maintenance, staffing, recertifications of staff, staff salaries and other benifits (including insurance) helicoptor insurance and other related liability costs......compared to simply renting the local when needed.
Can't have low taxes and yet spend as if we have money growing on tress....at least not for ever.
What they should have done
What they should have done and what they did are two different things, and we have what we have now. What the air unit guys must be feeling with all this crap being banded around, but this is par for Cayman. Shoot from a very low hip and usually into the back, and don't involve the people who are putting their lives on the line to patrol OUR borders.
Like chalk and cheese.
Like chalk and cheese.
Mac does not have operational
Mac does not have operational control over the police, so he is unable to make a decision of this kind.
He can reduce the police budget, but he cannot direct how the money is spent. If they did that I bet some government ministers would remove all breathalysers from police posession!
As I said earlier, there are
As I said earlier, there are billions if not trillions of dollars lodged here in the Cayman Islands. Why is it that the rich are not being taxed? It is senseless for Cayman to be renowned as one of the leading financial centers of the world, even the envy of the US and Mother UK; then have an issue with finances ???? Something is just not setting right with that picture.Government needs to seriously find ways to benefit from the deep pockets of these wealthy investors. Since investors are invited to the Cayman Islands, a tax free jurisdiction allowing them the opportunity to make billions if not trillions of dollars; then the government and its people must make billions as well. Otherwise it makes no sense developing for someone else while the bill is on our backs having to sell government assets.This has got to be the result of the PPM's reckless spending brought forward from 2009. This was long in the making If we are a leader amongst financial global players, then we must act like it, and portray the image as well, living it out in policies and legislation. The capital projects to put people back to work is a brilliant start, but more must be done for government to benefit from billionaires doing business in the Cayman Islands else it "Makes no sense." If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. Billions and trillions of dollars in the Cayman islands should mean that the government is smart enough to benefit from some of those billions and trillions, and the people as well and our assets should not be sold, nor should we have a high percentage of poverty and unemployment. Putting it simple. The Cayman Islands boasting its position as one of the leaders in the Financial Industry of the world ' should not have an "acute" problem with finances! The UK is obviously divesting of some of our assets like the police helicopter to bypass any and all responsibilities or potential debts that could be conferred upon them at any point and time or even induce excess borrowing which the UK is clear on with disapproval.. The premier is working very hard to put the country on its feet but due to the previous government's reckless spending that forced the UK to take drastic measures against spending and borrowing; then of course this budget set by the UK was inevitable
You can't corner the rich,
You can't corner the rich, because they don't stay here. They bank with us and I wouldn't want to be touching their bank accounts, because they could pull out and bank somewhere else.
The chopper should never have
The chopper should never have been purchased.
And any expert study of the cost - benefit ratio would have ruled it out.
$millions have already been spent on this useless boondoggle.
The clear path forward is to sell the chopper and disband the entire police air service arm
Use the money to implement something we really need - true police ground patrols,
They'll be useful in the
They'll be useful in the ocean
Wow, the Honorable Premier
Wow, the Honorable Premier Bush finally made a good decision. However, the helicopter should be replaced with a properly equipped fixed-wing aircraft to prevent smuggling into the islands. That was one of the original expert recommendations. How do I know that? The same why that I discovered the RCIPS had lost their own firearms.
Trust me, Bush didn't came
Trust me, Bush didn't came with this decision out of a hat. Rather, a tall black UK hat for that matter. I support him with the expat tax option. There are many tax options, but I am not hearing the other side come with any better alternatives. So I'll go with Bush on that option since it was discussed about by a committee.
The criticism of the proposal
The criticism of the proposal to implement direct taxation on work permit holders only is the other side’s response. By other side I mean the right side of the dispute, not a political party. If it was up to me, there would never be any direct taxation in the Cayman Islands. Governments must live within its means! It is irrelevant where the government gets their income from, if the government is going to over spend it.
When doing things which impact rights, governments try to do so in nibble sizes which they hope will not choke them to death. That is one way to divide and conquer the residents. I can only wish that more people would wake up to the understanding that yesterday it was the right of some to a jury, then the right of some to privacy, and today it’s direct tax discrimination, while tomorrow it might be you - today’s discriminator, who will be the government’s target. Then who is going to want to help you then?
I would rather that you not be fooled into thinking that just because you and your government (whichever one) have the legal right to govern that you all can do as you please. Those days are over.
Had we explored the other
Had we explored the other options that we were offered we might have been in a far better position today with this helicopter business financially. But some just like our politicians had to have their way?
This is wider then the
This is wider then the chopper. What else has Mackeeva decided can be cut that has not been communicated to the RCIPS. It was back in September we were all feared the Cayman Islands was becoming Jamaica with 5 of our young men dead in almost as many days. Robberies were rife and most were criticisng the police for doing nothing. Whatever has happened in the police with the extra staff and other resources is that the end result for the Cayman Islands is that there has been no murders since (I stand to be corrected), that some high profile robberies have seen the most postive action we could hope for and Cayman is one of the safest places in the Caribbean. This is I'm sure is a RCIPS group action, it'll be too late when we have reverted back to the position in September last year.
And also worrying is that I have yet to see any comment from any other member of the Government in support or otherwise. The world's media are waking up to the whole issue, and it's not pretty reporting.
Why don't he Privatize
Why don't he Privatize Boatswaine Beach, collect the $5mio from Mike Ryan and recall all the concessions given to Dart and the other rich friends. That should help the budget. The Helicopter is now a valuable asset to these Islands.
I absolutely agree with your
I absolutely agree with your view and would hasten to add, that the only reason MadMac is looking to tax people and make cuts elsewhere is because he is so adamant not to make the cuts that really need to be made, the Civil Service in line with the recommendations of the Miller Shaw report and addressed all the many inadequacies within government as evidenced by most of the Auditor General's reports. Had he not been consistently ignoring good advice and going off on his own little jaunts and spending spreees, had he been prudent with the public purse from the outset, then there would have been no need for the fee increases, the proposed tax or any cuts whatsoever.
Remember the Helicopter was
Remember the Helicopter was bought by Kurt Tibbetts and the PPM, so he has to get rid of it. Political simplicity!!!
Keke is now the puppet no
Can anyone enlighten the
Can anyone enlighten the Cayman public as to who was on the "expenditure review committee" Appears no one from the RCIPS, they seem to have a lot to answer for.
One thing that seems to be missing is a buyer? Other media reports 'premiers office confirms no interested parties".
Interesting links below, seems a good idea to justify using the helo that we have the RCIPS justify all their tactics using this machine. The RCIPS should be allowed to get on with policing?
Dont worry Mac wants to buy
Dont worry Mac wants to buy it..
No to selling the helicopter,
No to selling the helicopter, yes to the community enhancement fee.
Silly uneducated YOU. Once
Silly uneducated YOU. Once you introduce a tax, it WILL be expanded. The greed gravy train never stops.
$498 million spent on 55,000 population per year? Mother England did not get us into this mess, wasteful politicians and the bloated civil service did.
Docks, Chinese, Gas scandal, CUC, jolly travels, school contracts for cronies, all this waste!
Keep the helicopter, aqdd an aircraft and STOP the politicians buddies from bringing in drugs. Come on....you know our fat cats know the drug lords.
UK rule please.....(A Caymanian voter and 6th generation local).
Cut cuuuuut cuuut DJ
Cut cuuuuut cuuut DJ cuuuuut cuuuuuut DJ keep chopper send foreign police home can't have it both ways old boy This law enforcement hiring scam is now bankrupt.
There's something a bit odd
There's something a bit odd about the way our premier is acting for the longest while now. It's as if he reckons he and he alone is the government. Like a one-man show sort of thing. Has anybody else picked up on this by any slight chance?
Speaks volumes about those he
Yes, it does. It says the
Yes, it does. It says the majority of the UDP supports the policies, because one man does not a majority make.
Probably the best comment I
Probably the best comment I have seen.
He thinks he is, but the UK
He thinks he is, but the UK is really behind him, pulling the strings
So the drugs and guns can
So the drugs and guns can flow in and through with ease.
They already do. They come
They already do. They come in at night when the helicopter doesn't fly
Yes, I support the chopper
Yes, I support the chopper being here, now that I have declared my allegiance, please watch this report and hear the final comment of the fisherman
http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2010/08/20/one-of-the-men-rescued-talks-about-week-long-ordeal
and then say we don't need it? Only a couple of weeks ago there was a report of the chopper finding two 17 year olds. This is the 21st century, we need technology in all shapes. I can think of a few things we don't need, but there again I don't go to church.
Quote April
Quote April 2011
+++Government is it’s not considering getting rid of the police helicopter. The confirmation came from Honourable Premier McKeeva Bush in the Legislative Assembly this week.
“The helicopter plays an important role in boosting the capability of the RCIPS in all three Islands,” Mr. Bush said.
Mr. Bush also said government does not agree with a report from the Auditor General’s Office made last year that the helicopter should be sold. +++
Nothing's changed, except now it's an air ambulance as well with better trained staff??
Link http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2011/04/08/government-wont-get-rid-of-police-chopper
Sell the darn thing Mac. All
Sell the darn thing Mac. All it does is keep me awake at nights.
You need to move (smiley
You need to move (smiley face)
McKeeva is so paranoid he
McKeeva is so paranoid he probably thinks the chopper is being used tin the police investigation of him.
One more STUPID thing our
One more STUPID thing our Government is doing and the rest of the power Mad, Lazy, stAr's are allowing to happen.
SHAME on ALL you overpaid, good for nothings..... DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!
Mr. Governor, can't you do something??? Isn't security under you?
Drug dealers and Ganja boats and the various criminals will have a field day now, for sure! "Government" might as well put a welcome mat out for them all at this rate.
Will there be anything left of Cayman by May 2013?
My Cayman home is now a Banana Republic. That I know. Every passing day we just get more and more bananas!
I guess with Macamathics, no
I guess with Macamathics, no one has realised yet that any loss from the sale would be an expense in the current year and would, therefore, add to the deficit.
Post new comment