New Area Commander for the Sister Islands

(CMR) The RCIPS Senior Command Team said in recognizing the need for a strong and experienced officer at the helm for the Sister Islands, after great consideration, RCIPS Chief Inspector Malcolm Kay was selected as the new Area Commander based in Cayman Brac. He took up his new role on 1 February.

CI Kay succeeds Inspector Ian Yearwood, who was temporarily appointed to the role in April 2021. Inspector Yearwood has returned to uniform policing duties on Grand Cayman.

CI Kay has over 25 years of operational policing experience in the Cayman Islands. His career path has focused on serious and complex investigations in the Cayman Islands and other British Overseas Territories. Before his new assignment as the Area Commander for the Sister Islands, CI Kay occupied the role of Chief Inspector in charge of Specialist Operations for the RCIPS, which included oversight of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit, the Firearm Response Unit, K-9 Unit and others.

“As a part of the RCIPS strategic plan I hope to bring stability and continuity to the leadership and management of policing in the Sister Islands,” CI Kay said.

“My previous management of the Drugs and Serious Crime Task Force has provided me with an insight of the issues surrounding drug use, sales, and transhipments; and my ongoing relationship with operational units in Grand Cayman as well as the newly formed Cayman Islands Coast Guard will provide me with the resources required to tackle all levels of crime on land, air, and sea,” he added.

Throughout the coming weeks, he will be meeting with key community members, such as the District Commissioner, the Deputy District Commissioner, the head of the Sister Islands Customs and Border Control, Cayman Islands Fire Service, Public Works Department, and the Port Authority. This will ensure the strong partnerships established between the police and community leaders continues to grow.

Community Policing will be a priority for CI Kay, and as such, he will be meeting with the various school leaders and other members of the community to build the relationships that will help him to understand the needs of the people of the Sister Islands. CI Kay intends to have quarterly community meetings both on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

“I welcome this new chapter in my professional career and fully embrace the challenges ahead. From a personal perspective, I feel like I am coming home as I have a great love for the Sister Islands and the time I have spent here over the years. I consider Cayman Brac and Little Cayman my home away from home and look forward to being the new Area Commander,” CI Kay stated.

Police Sergeant (PS) Jason McKane has also been assigned to work in Cayman Brac alongside CI Kay, and he too arrived on Tuesday, 1 February. PS McKane has been with the RCIPS for the past 4 years and has worked within the Community Policing Unit and Service Delivery in the Uniform Branch. To add to his experience, he arrived in the Cayman Islands after spending over 14 years working in the Jamaica Constabulary Force within the Criminal Investigations Branch and Community Policing Department. His experience and work ethic will prove invaluable to the Sister Islands.

Commissioner of Police Mr. Derek Byrne stated, “The Senior Command Team and myself have the utmost confidence in Chief Inspector Kay's abilities to lead and take charge of policing matters in the Sister Islands, due to his vast experience and his skills and instincts as an investigator for many years.

“Police Sergeant Jason McKane has been newly appointed to his rank and will gain invaluable experience as a sergeant working alongside CI Kay. Additionally, his experience in community policing fits the kind of policing that the Sister Islands require. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to the changes and developments that they will accomplish in the Sister Islands.”