The Governor has given a new contract to David Baines as Commissioner of Police, to run for four years from 1 June 2013, when his current contract expires.

The Governor commented:

“I am delighted that David Baines has accepted a new four year contract as Commissioner of Police.  I believe that he has done an excellent job in challenging circumstances over the past four years.  He has provided much needed effective leadership to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS), which has led to a welcome and consistent fall in crime rates over the last three years.  Yet there is still much to be done to bring crime down to the lowest possible level:  I believe that Mr Baines is the right person to build on the foundations he has laid, to ensure that we continue to see falling crime rates in the next four years.

“In reaching my decision to offer a new contract to Commissioner Baines, I consulted the civil society representatives on the National Security Council, Dan Scott and Brigitte Kirkconnell-Shaughness.  They have commented that “As representatives of civil society we support the renewal of Commissioner David Baines’s contract for another four years.  The crime level that the Cayman Islands is experiencing is unacceptable but we believe that the efforts of Commissioner Baines and the RCIPS have led to the successful prevention and prosecution of serious crime, though much work is still to be done.”

Commissioner Baines said:

“It has been a privilege to lead the RCIPS over the past four years.  This has been a challenging time for the service as we have sought to rebuild our numbers and our capability to stem the serious and violent crime which has been threatening law and order in the Cayman Islands.  I am grateful to the Government and all Members of the Legislative Assembly who, despite budget pressures, unanimously agreed to restore previous numbers and funding to allow the RCIPS to build its capability to confront the threat.  This enabled us to stabilise our officer numbers and to provide much needed training across all branches and ranks, which has proved critical in allowing us to carry out our responsibilities effectively.  We have come a long way in four years.  Crime rates remain too high and  we still have much to do but we have a strong foundation now which will allow us to build on what we have achieved to date.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those officers who have played their part in supporting the changes that we have made and in delivering the improved service that we provide to our communities.  Their commitment makes a difference every single day and helps us to continue to deliver our objective of making these Islands a safer place to live and work in.”