Mr. Marlon Bodden brings a rich background in law enforcement to his new position as Deputy Collector for the Customs Department.

With 31 years’ experience in the police, Mr. Bodden is now in charge of enforcement at Customs, where he will oversee the work of seven sections including the K9 unit, FSI scanning unit, container inspections, fraud, intelligence, cnet (narcotics and firearms) and the marine unit.

From the time he joined the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) as a constable back in 1982, Mr. Bodden’s career has been marked by a steady progression. His postings in the RCIPS included Chief Instructor of Police Training; Detective Chief Inspector of the Drugs Task Force; George Town District Commander; and Head of the Criminal Investigation Department.

During his years with the police, Mr. Bodden  received constant training from entities in the United Kingdom; the United States, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Canada; Jamaica; Barbados; Chile; Costa Rica and the British Virgin Islands to keep up his management and tactical skills.

Subjects covered varied from: crisis interventions, police media relations, as well as narcotics and firearms investigations, to anti-corruption, crisis intervention, mass casualty and negotiations management.

Despite working full time, this hard-working officer also went on to successfully complete his Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the Cayman Islands Law School, which is affiliated to the University of Liverpool. Mr. Bodden successfully followed this up by completing his classroom portion of the Professional Practice Course.

Bestowed with numerous letters of commendation, Mr. Bodden has also received Police Long Service awards and recognition from overseas entities such as the Royal Humane Society Award for Bravery (Humanitarian Efforts) from Princess Alexandra in 1986, when he undertook an in-water rescue of two young children in the Spotts area. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in San Antonio, Texas, USA, also presented Mr Bodden with its Police Officers’ Award in 2005 for his unwavering support of law enforcement.

Mr. Bodden next took up a senior civilian position with the Labour and Pensions Office as Deputy Director, a post that he held until his move to Customs. During this time Mr Bodden, significantly contributed to professionalising the leadership and management structure of the Department, as well as the Labour Tribunals process and the investigative and operational effectiveness of Labour related matters.

Collector of Customs Samantha Bennett enthusiastically welcomed Mr. Bodden to the department as its third Deputy Collector.

“We are delighted that an officer of Mr. Bodden’s calibre has joined our dynamic team. He brings in a wealth of experience in several law enforcement disciplines.” Mrs. Bennett added.

“Here at Customs, we have embarked on exciting new challenges, including a newly expanded Customs Law and I am sure we will be able to use all of Mr. Bodden’s abilities and talents for the betterment of our people,” she commented.

In turn, Mr. Bodden expressed his happiness at joining a vital revenue earning and law enforcement agency. “I am thrilled to join a great team and look forward to playing an active role and taking on new challenges and demands. I am also keen on focusing on the synergies that must unite our key law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal activities”

Photo caption:

New Deputy Collector of Customs Marlon Bodden