News

On Wednesday 14 May, the RCIPS released its 2024 Crime and Traffic Statistics Report, with a press conference held at RCIPS HQ. Members of the media were invited to hear from the Commissioner of Police, Kurt Walton, who, joined by a number of his Senior Command Team colleagues, spoke to the report’s findings and took questions from journalists present.

Commissioner Walton, said, “This year, we are presenting a new look report, which represents a step towards a more contemporary and digestible approach to sharing police data with the community. Internationally, this is the direction police reporting is moving and this is our first step on that journey. In addition, we have introduced a detection rate. This measure provides a benchmark by which our performance as an organization can be compared against, year on year. This demonstrates my commitment to accountability and transparency regarding the work of the RCIPS, to the community we serve.”

Reflecting on key events of 2024, Commissioner Walton said, “The Ed Bush Stadium shooting incident, on February 25, 2024, was a watershed moment in the history of the Cayman Islands, which resulted in seven persons being injured. It was a miracle there were no fatalities. This event, combined with gang tensions in the first four months of the year, has led to an increase in our serious violence figures. However, as a counter to that, firearm crime reduced by 21% in 2024, which demonstrates the priority I placed on tackling the scourge of firearm-related crime in our community”.

Commissioner Walton emphasised the seriousness of the issues faced on our roads, recognising that, “Traffic and road policing continue to be a challenge, and the fourteen road fatalities that occurred in 2024 are a devastating reminder of the significant harm that can occur on our roads. The RCIPS is working with the government and agency partners, to develop and deliver long term solutions that will improve our roads, as part of the National Road Safety Strategy, and we have already seen some positive outputs from this work, such as the installation of lane delineators on Shamrock Road, for example. However, as a community we must do our part and improve what has become, in all to many cases, horrific driving behavior”.

“Although 2024 has presented challenges, we have also seen many successes, including securing prosecutions in multiple high-profile criminal cases, resulting in lengthy custodial sentences for serious crimes, including murder and sexual offences”, continues Commissioner Walton. “As we move through 2025 and beyond, the RCIPS will continue to focus on delivering the policing priorities laid out in our Strategic Policing Plan 2024 -2026, while working with our communities, for our communities, towards making the Cayman Islands Safer”.

The full 2024 Crime and Traffic Statistics report and analysis is available here