Last Wednesday, 10 July, RCIPS officers, members of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, and owners and managers of businesses in the Seven Mile Beach area, came together for another meeting of the Seven Mile Beach Business Watch.

The group, which was initially formed as a partnership between CITA and the RCIPS, has since grown to include any business that has a vested interest in the Seven Mile Beach area. The group meets once a month at different locations to discuss various issues such as disaster management, trade and business license compliance, and turtle friendly lighting. Previous guest speakers have included representatives from Hazard Management Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Red Cross, the Department of Commerce and Investment, and the Department of Environment.

“The success of this group has been the partnership between the committed members of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association and the RCIPS towards the goal of reducing crime and increasing the safety of the entire community,” said Acting Sergeant Jonathan Kern of the Community Policing Department, who was instrumental in setting up the Business Watch. “We take the view that we are stronger working together than in isolation, and that our neighbour’s problem is actually the whole community’s problem.”

Last week’s meeting took place at the Ritz Carlton and was also attended by Superintendent of Uniform Policing, Robert Graham, and Chief Inspector of Community and Roads Policing, Malcolm Kay. Members were updated on actions the RCIPS has taken to alleviate concerns expressed at previous meetings, such as traffic management and emerging crimes. A major point of concern raised during the meeting was credit card fraud, and plans are currently being put in place to host a seminar on safeguarding against credit card fraud.

“I would like to thank the group and our partners for their dedication over the past 18 months in making the group a success,” added APS Kern.