Royal Cayman Islands Police Service

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is the standing police force of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. The police force was formed in 1907 and currently (2009) stands at 343 enlisted officers, tasked with tackling Crime in the Cayman Islands.

Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
Agency overview
Formed1907
Employees407
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionCayman Islands
Map of Royal Cayman Islands Police Service's jurisdiction
Size102 square miles
Population69,656[1]
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersGeorge Town
Constables343
Agency executive
  • Derek Patrick Byrne, Commissioner
Facilities
Stations7
Website
www.rcips.ky

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service serves all three of the Cayman Islands, namely, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Demographically, the 2021 census reported the population of the Cayman Islands to be 69,656, representing a mix of more than 100 nationalities.[1] The vast majority of people reside on Grand Cayman with Cayman Brac being the second most populated with about 2,000 residents, followed by Little Cayman with around 200 permanent residents.

Against this backdrop the RCIPS deals with more than 22,000 calls for assistance every year, as well as proactively patrolling the streets 24-hours a day, seven days a week. It has a history of actively recruiting police officers from other nations with at least five years' experience.[2][3]

Structure and ranks

The RCIPS is headed by a Commissioner, assisted by up to two Deputy Commissioners. Other executive officers hold the ranks of Chief Superintendent and Superintendent. Each of the four policing Districts is headed by a Chief Inspector, assisted by an Inspector (except in the smallest District, which covers the two smaller islands). Inspectors are responsible for neighbourhood teams consisting of Sergeants and Constables.[4] In addition to neighbourhood policing, officers are assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with ranks (up to Chief Superintendent) prefixed with the word 'Detective'. There are also a number of specialist units.

The RCIPS engages Special Constables (“Specials”), who are unpaid volunteer police officers, to support the work of full-time officers.[5] There are powers to appoint Auxiliary Constables to specialist roles. Special Constables may advance to the rank of Special Sergeant, and also have their own Commandant, with a Deputy and an Assistant.[6]

The prefix “detective” is given to officers who are assigned to the CID, after completing the necessary selection and training process. Detective ranks run parallel to uniformed ranks, and range from Detective Constable to Detective Superintendent.[7]

List of Ranks
  • Commissioner
  • Deputy Commissioner
  • Assistant Commissioner
  • Chief Superintendent
  • Superintendent
  • Chief Inspector
  • Inspector
  • Sergeant
  • Constable

Training

  • Recruit

Other

  • Auxiliary Constable and Special Constable

Police Districts

For purposes of criminal investigation, neighbourhood policing, and crime prevention, the RCIPS is divided into four Districts:

  • West Bay, with one police station at West Bay.
  • George Town, with one police station at George Town (Elgin Avenue).
  • Eastern District, with three police stations at East End, Bodden Town, and North Side.
  • Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, with two police stations, one on each island.

In addition to the Elgin Avenue police station in George Town, several other operational police bases exist in the town, including the national police headquarters in Shedden Road, the traffic policing unit in Lindhurst Avenue, and administrative offices on Walkers Road.

RCIPS Police car

Specialist departments

The RCIPS has a number of specialist departments, beyond the CID and the neighbourhood policing teams. Of these, the most visible and sizeable are the following.

Air Operations Unit

The Air Operations Unit (AOU) provides aerial support for border security, search and rescue, medical evacuations, patient transport from the Sister Islands, police operations, and disaster response. The AOU has one Inspector as Head Of Air Operations, along with a Sergeant as the Deputy Head Of Air Operations, and is staffed by professional pilots, engineers, as well as tactical flight officers in the form of (police officers), the AOU was founded in 2010.

The AOU started with a Eurocopter EC135 police helicopter. This original aircraft was withdrawn after a failure in service in February 2019. The AOU now operates two Airbus Helicopters, Inc. H145 helicopters.

Two Cayman Islands Police Service H145 Helicopters Tail numbers VP-CAO and VP-CPS

The AOU now operates two Airbus H-145 helicopters (formerly the Eurocopter EC-145), acquired in a special deal with the United Kingdom in late March 2019,[8] and early December 2019.[9]

Type Tail No. Origin Aircraft Manufacture In service Notes
Current Aircraft
H145 VP-CAO United States Airbus Helicopters, Inc. 2019-Current [10][11]
H145 VP-CPS United States Airbus Helicopters, Inc. 2019-Current [10][12]
Former Aircraft
EC135 VP-CPS France Eurocopter Airbus Helicopters 2010-2019 [10][13]

Joint Marine Unit (NOW HANDED OVER TO CAYMAN ISLANDS COAST GUARD)

(See Cayman Islands Coast Guard )

This unit has been replaced by the CICG in 2020 (Cayman Islands Coast Guard) which operate a fleet of fast motor boats to provide law enforcement, maritime customs control, maritime immigration control, and search and rescue operations.

Firearms Response Unit

The FRU is a paramilitary force within the RCIPS, whose officers are trained to high standards of fitness, and to an advanced level of firearms training. The FRU provides operational support as required, and is also the frontline of defence against organised violent crime and terrorism threats.

Equipment

Duty Gear

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service in Majority is an unarmed police Service.[14]

A Regular Uniformed Police Officer would carry a duty belt with Handcuffs, Pepper Spray, and collapsible baton, and radio, at time wears a stab vest.

An Air Operations Unit Officer's Uniform before would have normally consisted of Hi-Vis Yellow with black and reflective grey striped polo and Dark Blue Tactical Trousers and boots and a Coyote Tan flight suit. In more recent years the AOU has been using Dark Blue Polo shirts and Tactical Coyote Tan Trousers and boots, along with relevant gear for pilots and air crew.

In many cases officers in Criminal Investigations are plain clothed officers and would typically wear clothes that would be suited for Professional Business Attire. Crime Scene Investigation Unit (CSIU) personnel would also have the relevant forensic gear to carry out their work.

A K-9 Officer's Uniform is the same Tactical Dark Blue/Black that the FRU had used prior to 2022. K-9 officers are also equipped with tactical Plate Carriers and relevant equipment for their dogs along with the standard gear. The K-9 Unit normally operate with Malinois or German Shepherds dogs. [15]

However, The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has the Firearms Response Unit which is an Armed unit within the Police Service.

Officers within the Firearms Response Unit can be seen with Handcuffs or Speedcuffs, Pepper Spray, collapsible baton, and radio along with Taser X26 and carry H&K MP5 or H&K G36C and Springfield Armory XD and instead of the normal stab vest officers can be seen wearing tactical Plate Carriers and Kevlar Helmets.

As of June 2022, FRU Updated their Uniform from the Tactical Dark Blue/Black which resembles some of the Uniforms of other unit in the Service like K-9 as well as other agencies like the Cayman Islands Coast Guard and CBC, to a Tactical Grey uniform which would distinguish the FRU from any other unit or agency. Along with the new uniform the FRU also updated to a newer type of Plate Carrier and Ballistic Helmet. [16] [17] [18] The Tactical Grey Uniform is similar to other Tactical Grey Uniforms for specialist tactical units in other countries like Canada's Emergency Task Force (ETF) (Toronto Police Force) and United Kingdom's Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer (CT-FSO) part of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Firearms Command (SCO19).

Vehicles
A Ford Taurus Police Interceptor in service of RCIPS

References
  1. https://www.eso.ky/UserFiles/page_docums/files/uploads/cayman_islands_preliminary_census_2021_r.pdf
  2. This article outlines recruitment from Jamaica, and mentions several other nations.
  3. Report in the Guardian newspaper of a British police officer relocating to the Cayman Islands.
  4. Basic operational structure, and rank table, may be found here on the RCIPS official website.
  5. The Special Constabulary has its own website, here.
  6. The rank structure is shown here.
  7. "Information About Cayman Islands Police - Royal Cayman Islands Police Service".
  8. "New Police Helicopter, the Airbus H145, Arrives at RCIPS Air Operations Unit".
  9. "New RCIPS Helicopter arrives on Island".
  10. "Early arrival for new police helicopter". Cayman Compass. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  11. "VP-CAO N470AH Airbus Helicopters H145 / EC145T2 C/N 20182".
  12. "VP-CPS N563AH Airbus Helicopters H145 / EC145T2 C/N 20241".
  13. "VP-CPS G-EMAS Eurocopter EC135T1 C/N 0107".
  14. "Information About Cayman Islands Police - Royal Cayman Islands Police Service". www.rcips.ky. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  15. "K9 - Royal Cayman Islands Police Service".
  16. "RCIPS Firearms Response Unit to Implement New Uniforms and Tactical Equipment, 31 May".
  17. "Uniform change differentiates armed cops - Cayman Islands Headline News". 31 May 2022.
  18. "New Uniform and tactical equipment for Firearms Response Unit". 31 May 2022.
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