Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton addressing the media

oday, Wednesday 24 April, the RCIPS released its 2023 Crime and Traffic Statistics Report, and members of the Senior Command Team held a press conference to discuss the main developments and trends described in the statistics with the media.   

Commissioner of Police, Kurt Walton, who led the panel, said; “The 2023 crime and traffic statistics report shows that total crime continues to gradually increase year on year towards the pre-pandemic volume. Looking at the past five years, our overall crime profile remains relatively stable.  This is amongst a backdrop of an expanding population and increased traffic on our roads”. 

As was the case in 2022, there has been an increase in acquisitive crime and firearm enabled crime in 2023.  “We know firearm crime is an issue that is front of mind for the community and one that the RCIPS takes seriously”, says CoP Walton.  “During 2023, RCIPS and its partner agencies (CICG and CBC) removed 23 firearms from the streets, which is a result of ongoing targeted operations and intelligence.  We will continue to take a proactive approach to tackling firearms, whilst working with our partners both locally and regionally to remove illegal firearms and ammunition from the community”. 

In 2023, there was an increase in acquisitive crime, across nearly all crime types.  The main increase was related to theft, specifically vehicle related theft, which was predominantly due to incidents of theft from vehicles carried out by a number of prolific recidivist offenders.

Regarding traffic, the numbers demonstrate the continued police focus on poor driving behaviors, in particular speeding, with a 52% increase in speeding tickets issued in 2023 compared to 2022.  “This was a direct response to the appalling figures recorded in 2022 where we saw 15 fatalities on our roads”, continued CoP Walton.  “At the same time, the demands on road policing continue to increase, with officers attending 3,196 MVA’s in 2023, an increase of 281 or 10% compared to 2022.  As a community we need to collectively improve our driving behavior in order to reduce the number, and severity of accidents we see on our roads, from fender benders through to serious collisions and fatalities”.  

“Overall, the Cayman Islands retained a relatively stable crime profile for 2023, but there is always more work to be done.  The recent launch of our Policing Plan 2024 – 2026, sets the parameters that guide us as we respond to the challenges ahead, and continue to ensure that the Cayman Islands remain a safe place to live, work, visit and do business”.

A sample of statistics from the 2023 report is included as follows:

• There were 37,866 incidents or calls for service in 2023, an increase of 2,544 or 7% compared to 2022.  Total recorded crime was 3,955 for 2023, an increase of 150 or 3.9% compared to 2022.
• There have been 41 crimes of Serious Violence in 2023 compared to 58 in 2022. Serious Violence has decreased by 29% or 17 crimes compared to 2022.
• There have been 89 sexual crimes in 2023 compared to 80 in 2022.
• There have been 41 Firearms Crimes in 2023 compared to 37 in 2022.  There have been increases in 2023 for the possession of an unlicensed firearm, discharge in a public place and importation of an unlicensed firearm.
• There have been 150 Drug Crimes in 2023 compared to 155 in 2022. There were reductions in most types of drug crime related to ganja while there were increases in possession related to cocaine.
• There have been 1,469 Acquisitive Crimes in 2023 compared to 1,222 in 2022. There has been an overall increase in acquisitive crime in nearly all crime types.
• In 2023 there were a total of 270 arrests in relation to DUI offences, an increase of 36 or 15% compared to 2022.
• In 2023 officers attended 3,196 MVA’s, an increase of 281 or 10% compared to 2022. On average there are 61 MVA’s a week in the Cayman Islands, around 5 more per week than in 2022

 The full 2023 Crime and Traffic Statistics report and analysis is available on the RCIPS website here