Her Excellency the Governor has announced the appointment of Mr. Robert Atkin MBE as the new Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS), following the retirement of outgoing Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis, who served the police service loyally for 45 years. Mr. Brad Ebanks has been appointed as Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police. Both officers took up their new positions on 1 August.
These appointments follow a robust open recruitment process carried out over the past several months, which included local and international applicants. The process was overseen by the Police Service Commission (PSC), which is responsible for recruitment of senior members of RCIPS, and endorsed by the National Security Committee (NSC).
Her Excellency the Governor, Jane Owen, said: “I am delighted to welcome Rob Atkin as Deputy Commissioner of RCIPS. He has served with distinction since joining the Senior Command Team of RCIPS as Assistant Commissioner, and brings a wealth of experience from the United Kingdom as well as strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of the strategic security challenges facing Cayman. I congratulate Brad Ebanks on taking up the role of Assistant Commissioner of RCIPS. His long service and deep operational expertise are essential to the fight against crime in our Islands. I am also immensely grateful to outgoing Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis for his dedicated service to the RCIPS over more than four decades. His leadership, professionalism and commitment have made a lasting contribution to policing in the Cayman Islands, and I thank him for his distinguished service.”
Chief Officer of the Office of the Commissioner of Police, and Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton, said: “I rely on my Deputy for strategic support and responsibility for all policing and security, overseeing operational policing, inclusive of all units within the detective and uniform branches of the Service. To that end, I am greatly appreciative of retired Deputy Commissioner Ennis’ service, and have no doubt that the same loyal service will be executed by the incoming Deputy Commissioner Atkin. Likewise, I am proud of my longtime police colleague and incoming Assistant Commissioner Ebanks who has 39 years of service with us.”
Deputy Commissioner Rob Atkin MBE said: "It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. I am sincerely grateful to the Police Service Commission, Her Excellency the Governor and the Commissioner of Police for the confidence they have placed in me. I would also like to pay tribute to Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis for his many years of dedicated service to the people of the Cayman Islands and the RCIPS. He leaves behind a significant legacy, and I wish him every success in his retirement. Since joining the RCIPS, I have had the privilege of working alongside exceptional police officers, police staff and our many partner agencies, all of whom are committed to making the Cayman Islands one of the safest places to live, work and visit. I am proud to continue serving with them in this new role. As Deputy Commissioner, my commitment is to provide strong and visible leadership, support our people, uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, and continue strengthening the trust and confidence that our communities place in the RCIPS. I look forward to working with Commissioner Walton, Assistant Commissioner Ebanks and all our colleagues as we continue to build a modern, accountable and community-focused police service for the future."
Acting Assistant Commissioner Brad Ebanks said: “I am honoured to take on the role of Acting Assistant Commissioner and grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues on the Senior Command Team to provide strong, collaborative leadership as we guide the RCIPS into the future. Together, we will continue to build on the organisation's strengths, embrace opportunities for growth and remain focused on delivering a professional policing service.”
The Police Service Commission is an independent body, established in 2021 with responsibility for senior appointments within RCIPS, and promoting accountability and public confidence in the Police.