Bush calls for $5m to boost public safety

Government will seek an additional $5 million funding for security in 2011-2012, boosting government outlays to $57.3 million for public protection by the end of the budget year.

Speaking at Tuesday’s inauguration 
of a new x-ray system for cargo imports and exports, Premier McKeeva Bush said he would seek additional funding for police, customs and immigration services this year, and renewed a longstanding call to create a “disaster defence force” to work alongside the RCIPS.

He said that while the new cargo-scanning system would boost efforts to halt weapons and narcotics smuggling, disrupt terrorist activities and boost government revenues, he would like to see funding for greater measures to protect the public.

“As we move to try to build our nation, I hope to see a disaster defence force before too long,” Mr Bush told a Tuesday-evening audience that included the Deputy Governor, the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police, the Financial Secretary, The Chief Immigration Officer, The Deputy Premier, the Chief Customs Collector, representatives from the Office of the Governor, Cabinet Ministers and MLAs.

”The funding is not available now, and I do not know when it might be, but I hope we can train our own cadre of personnel who will work alongside the police service for the protection of the public.

“I look forward to better equipment, putting it in Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman, so police boats and the helicopter will know at all times where they should be. We need funds for these supplementary services,” he said.

The new $3 million scanner marked “an important day for crime fighters, providing 100% inspection of all outgoing and incoming freight to our islands, improving border security and securing revenues without disrupting trade flows,” he said.

The system would “inspect every nook and cranny in boats, cars, trucks and other vehicles with ease,” enabling interdiction of weapons, narcotics and other contraband, and easing scrutiny of suspect manifests and open loads.

Training, oversight, maintenance and ongoing activities would create at least 10 new jobs, he said, at a cost of $816,000 this year alone, and new costs of $5.3 million per year.

Regional Director of Sales for equipment vendor Smiths Detection, Eduardo Roca-Zela, said the mobile scanner required 30 seconds to probe a vehicle, boosting law-enforcement efforts, particularly at roadblocks.

“This does a lot to support the RCIPS to look for illegal drugs and firearms concealed in vehicles on our roads,” Mr Bush said.
Similar scanning equipment would also ultimately be installed at Owen Roberts airport, securing strategic points of entry and exit, Mr Roca-Zela said.

Mr Bush said costs for the scanner had been $2.4 million for equipment and installation, another $365,000 for “site works“ at the Port Authority’s Portland Road Cargo Distribution Centre and “an additional $1.5 million to construct a facility to house the system,” totaling $4.5 million

Suggesting the initiative would elevate Cayman to world class security levels, Mr Bush said container safety would be guaranteed –  something Washington, D.C. has long sought, but never achieved – and enable the island to enter the world customs framework in accord with the “100% security law”.

“The safety initiatives will put these islands in the same table as the other big boys in the region,” he said, “provide opportunities for our regional partners and show we take crime-fighting and security seriously.”