I am not a personal friend of Cayman Islands Police Commissioner David Baines. I have only ever met the commissioner four times.

Each time I have found him extremely polite, pleasant, a good conversationalist and listener.

I have praised him in Editorials and have been less complimentary in them also. These have been my personal opinions based on the facts that I have at my disposal and nothing to do whether I like or dislike the police chief.

On one occasion he answered an editorial that was critical of him but he didn’t use any angry words. In fact he agreed with most of what I said and advised me had taken steps to put right the wrongs and would implement measures that should prevent the things I was critical of from happening again.

He kept his word.

I am writing now concerning the appalling attacks  upon him, his character and his execution of duty as a police chief that have been placed online by bloggers on  other Cayman media sites.

In particular are the blogs on the bloggers favourite website CNS that attack Baines for being rewarded with an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen, as if he had personally requested the honour. If that wasn’t bad enough there are other blogs that crucify him for doing his job and even suggest he should be prosecuted for it. I am seething with anger.

This is one of the milder blogs?

“Why are so many people here giving Baines such praise? Are you his friends? Baines finally doing what he is being paid for. The fact is that had it not been for the local tour operators and others who, in my opinion, did a better job than Ba[i]nes and the whole police department put together and Baines coincidently being in the area to pick-up friends, Baines would never have been heard of in this incident until after the fact.

“As for those of you who states that Baines put himself in harm’s way, again, this is what he signed up for when he accepted the job and he is not doing anything special. This should be the norm not the exception. Were the locals involved in apprehending these nuisances praised and presented with similar distinctions as Baines was? They should be as they played just as much if not more of a role in the apprehension of these criminals.”

If you don’t know what I am referring to it is the attempted robbery of $1M jewels from Diamond International on New Year’s Day in front of hundreds of cruise ship passengers.

In our story today from the UK’s Daily Mail Baines is quoted as saying:

‘I was in George Town to meet my friend and former colleague, Bob Helm, a former chief detective with Lancashire Police.

‘He had arrived on a cruise ship and we were meeting to spend a few days together. The arrangement was to rendezvous near the port outside a jewellery shop called Diamonds International.

‘Bob was in a shop nearby buying champagne to celebrate the New Year and I was outside the store waiting for him which is why I was in the right place at the right time.

‘As I arrived I saw a security guy running out of Diamonds International looking concerned.

‘As I looked into the shop I could see at least two masked men.’

The Mail story goes on to say:

Mr Baines said he spun his Chevrolet Trailblazer around and saw three men running from the store and getting into a getaway vehicle.

‘I rammed the car to try and block them. I was partially successful,’ he said.

‘They climbed out of the car and started running so I went after them and hit two of the guys up against a fence. One slipped beneath the car.’

Members of the public grappled with the two suspects pinned by Mr Baines’ car.

Shots were fired during the robbery but no one was hurt as a result of the shooting. But one of the suspects was injured during his arrest.”

For the benefit of the first blogger I quoted, iNews Cayman published this statement from the RCIPS:

Commissioner Baines was quick to play down his own involvement and heaped praise on the members of the public who came forward to assist. ” I did my job – it’s as simple as that. . .” he said. ” I only did what I would expect any officer of the RCIPS to do; however, today once again demonstrated the great community spirit in the Cayman Islands and the selfless acts we see time and time again where members of the public step forward to stand up for what is right. Without the brave actions of those exceptional people today, we may not have effected such quick arrests in connection with this crime.”

Our whole report of the robbery received from the RCIPS without any “inaccurate spins and interpretations” can be found at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/robbery-on-north-church-street-three-in-custody/

And  these blogs from the same media house are bordering on lunacy:

They lucky it was not *Rabe Welcome in the area to meet.

So some idiot punk weilding a machette in public and gets a broken arm, Rabe lost his job to the same criminals he sup[p]osed to keep off the streets.

Top cop runs over his suspect, and forgets to back over him again, he did a good job. Point being,  at the time of ap[p]rehending any weapon weilding criminal or insensitive criminal, you will not have time to judge just how much force or how you will react.

If all the cops are being demoralized and feeling a sense of lost to the criminals, they will do as they continue to do, quit the force and move on to something easier to feed there families.

Miss Reba, did you finish the cape for mr Baines as yet? He gonna need it now that the bainesmobile will need some working on.

And:

Excellent point regarding Rabe Welcome. Why wasn’t Rabe presented with an OBE for injuring a criminal but, Baines was? Just goes to show it’s who you know. 

I am not condoning police brutality but, what is good for one should also be good for all and as another poster stated, during these and similar situations there is often only time to react and no time to think. Baines did just this but, in keeping with the above he should be charged with the use of excessive force as Rabe was but, in this case with a deadly weapon.

End

“Excellent point?” It was imbecilic!!

I wouldn’t be giving this stupidity the time of day except it has been publicized on the Internet. The whole world has access to it.They must believe at least a third of the population here are imbeciles.

Thank goodness there were also these blogs:

I congratulate Commissioner Baines on a job well done.

An aspect of this crime that hs not been mentioned thus far is the incredible boldness of these robbers.

Based upon the time and location of this crime it is troubling that these armed robbers had such a lack of concern for what this does to the image of cayman in the world’s eyes.

These men have no respect for Cayman.

And:

Well done to all who bravely assisted with the apprehension of those thugs!

Super job Commissioner Baines!

And:

So I’m hearing sympathy for the assailants and maybe baines went over the call of duty on the social websites. Injured a caymanian that was having hard times? I say good on you Mr baines. Nationality is not important. You commit armed robbery. Expect severe conciquences

End

I have to confess I haven’t the time nor inclination to read all 89 blogs.

I 100% agree with the last blogger. “Nationality is not important. You commit armed robbery. Expect severe consequences [spelling corrected]”

If persons enter a public building, brandishing what looks like guns, with the intent to rob and by the nature of the weapons being carried intend to maim or kill they must expect to receive dire retribution.

On CITN/Cayman27 a tourist who witnessed the attempted robbery was quick to praise the Police Commissioner and the public who responded. He was beaming with pleasure.

What a pity the whole of Cayman’s public doesn’t see it in the same light.

Shame on everyone of you who posted those damning blogs. Don’t complain when you get robbed, and/or beaten up and/or shot. You are giving credence to low life scum with your stupid comments.

It is you who should be crucified and not Commissioner Baines.

*Note: Rabe Welcome reference

Rabe Welcome was a 38year old former Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) officer, who was found guilty by a jury last June when he used “excessive force” during the early hours of the morning at a Red Bay gas station while off duty in June 2009 during an altercation.

Welcome broke the arm of Adolphus Myrie during the incident and the judge said he had “crossed the line”. He was sentenced to serve six months in prison.

However in November his conviction was overturned by Cayman’s Court of Appeal.