I give my full backing to North Side Member of the Legislative Assembly, Ezzard Miller, at his private members motion to impose a ‘3rd strike and you are out’ rule on robbers and burglars that are habitual offenders.

Miller is asking his political colleagues to back him on his motion that calls for habitual offenders to be locked up for a mandatory ten years.

Miller said that he believes the introduction of a third strike would see the ‘usual suspects’ in his district think again about their crimes as he believes at present they are moving in and out of Northward without a second thought.

It’s not just his district. It’s everywhere on the Cayman Islands.

Miller cites his district as a good example. He says “the only time my constituents are safe from the growing crime in the one peaceful district is when the main culprits are locked up.”

He blames the relatively short sentences and releases on bail for the problem.

He feels the third strike, that should actually be “IN” not “OUT” meaning IN prison, will make the criminals think twice and to mend their ways. If it doesn’t at least the criminals are locked away and we don’t have to worry about them preying on us.

He also feels, as I do, that pawn shop owners should also be subject to harsher penalties. At the very least they should lose their license if they are found to be pawning or selling stolen goods, he said.

He even cited a case where a local pawn shop had six flat screen televisions on sale that has been stolen but no sanctions were taken against the pawn shop owner.

He said it was obvious ‘fencing’ was going on.

In some countries, the USA is one, pawn shops have to have a 30 day holding room in their store so the police can check to see if they have stolen goods. When it comes to jewelry though, the rule is often down to 7 days before they can ‘melt it down’.

We should have a similar rule here and perhaps Miller might consider adding this to his motion?

Then there is ecaytrade. I wonder how many of the items on sale there are actually stolen?

Do the police here scour the items listed on that website? There is no check from the owners of the website on anything there for sale whether it is stolen. There must be tighter laws as the criminals are having a very easy time.

They steal and it is even easier to dispose of it.

Yes Ezzard. 3- strikes and you are out – out of our sight!