On Wednesday, 6 April, officers in the Eastern Districts carried out an operation where over 20 court-issued warrants were executed. The operation was a collaborative effort that included officers from the Eastern Districts’ front line, Community Officers, the Process Unit and the Cayman Islands Detention Centre. The officers made 17 arrests and 22 warrants were executed as a result, with some persons having multiple warrants in some cases.

The warrants are issued by the court and then executed by the police. Once a person with a warrant is arrested, depending on the type of warrant, they either have to pay a fine up front in order to be released (for a default warrant), are bailed for the next court date (for failing to appear with bail), or are kept in custody until the next court date (for failing to appear with no bail).

Many of the warrants were due to unpaid traffic tickets that were issued by the police, where the driver did not attend court on the date stipulated on the tickets. Others were outstanding court-issued fines.

Just under 200 active warrants still remain to be executed. Broken down into districts, approximately 70 are attached to George Town, over 60 are attached to the Eastern Districts, over 55 in West Bay, and approximately 5 in the Sister Islands. Of the total number, approximately 65 are default warrants due to non-payment of fines.

“If anyone believes or knows that they have an outstanding warrant, we encourage you address it as a matter of urgency”, says Acting Superintendent Brad Ebanks, “If you have received a traffic ticket from an officer, ensure that you pay the ticket prior to the date (deadline) provided or attend court on the date stipulated to avoid a warrant being issued for your arrest. To avoid the inconvenience of being arrested and reputational embarrassment one should attend to any outstanding court matters.

Members of the public who believe they may have a warrant out for their arrest are encouraged to call any police station and enquire about the best way to have your warrants actioned. Alternatively, you may attend the court and discuss the issue with a court officer.