Outcomes - Selected Case Summaries
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Mother owed explanation
Investigation | 22 October 2018
Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS)
A mother approached two RCIPS uniformed officers who were questioning her son (who is a minor) on her property. The officers refused to provide her any reasons for their actions and walked away from her. The mother filed a complaint of unprofessional and disrespectful conduct against the police officers. We recommended that the officers attempt to resolve the complaint informally with the mother; however, they were unable to do so. The complaint proceeded to a formal investigation where the Ombudsman reviewed the evidence including statements from all parties involved and a report from the RCIPS Professional Standards Unit.
The Ombudsman determined that the mother was entitled to an explanation from the officers regarding the interaction they had with her son and that they should not have walked away from her in the manner they did. The Ombudsman further recommended that the Commissioner of Police offer guidance to the officers concerned. The Commissioner agreed with the Ombudsman and directed the officers to speak with the mother and provide her with a full explanation. He also agreed that it was a missed opportunity to build a relationship in that community.