While other measures are considered, parents are reminded that children under 18 should not be left unaccompanied in the Town Centre on weekends and public holidays.
(CMR) Camana Bay has decided to strictly enforce its policy that no unsupervised minors should be left at their family-friendly town center with immediate effect. The position comes after multiple incidents with teens have resulted in fights and other anti-social behavior. On Thursday's The Cold Hard Truth, there was unanimous and overwhelming support for the policy to be implemented.
Some of the fights have been very serious after it was revealed to CMR by parents that kids are taking their issues off the school campus and fighting at the location, which is home to many businesses, including restaurants and the island's only movie theatre.
Over the years, parents have been extremely liberal with allowing children to go to Camana Bay with their friends with zero adult supervision. Reports have been received informing CMR that other activity is also happening at the facility; not just fighting. The final straw appears to be several fights that occurred last weekend between girls from John Gray High School.
A parent shared that one Year 10 girl, in particular, has been tormenting her Year 6 child for years now, and the police and school administrators appear ill-equipped to do anything about the problem. After that story was shared on TCHT, the 14-year-old said to be the instigator in the matter took to her social media and posted a barrage of posts attacking Content Manager Sandra Hill.
Speaking to that aspect of the bullying, Hill observed:
“It's obvious these young adults have no regard for anyone or anything, and their parents have failed them. The police and others have thus far failed the victims, and it's a sad indictment on us all. Parents had better step up and take some accountability.”
The Dart organization appears to have finally decided that they will take some action.
In an announcement made late Friday afternoon, they noted that an “emerging trend of disruptive behavior, particularly among teenaged children on Friday and Saturday evenings,” is having a detrimental impact on the Camana Bay Town Centre.
The Dart property management team assures its tenants and visitors that they are taking this violent and disruptive behavior seriously. They noted:
“In recent months, the team has reviewed behavioral problems and are working with multiple partners to address the issue. Among the initiatives put in place in recent weeks is an increased presence of police and security officers at certain times, as well as in the frequency of patrols.”
A caller into Thursday's program noted that she worked previously for a security company that provided services at Camana Bay, and she was in full support of making it a requirement for parents to supervise their kids there. She shared the extra strain that it placed on the location.
“Our security team and members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service do a great job patrolling the Town Centre to ensure the safety of all who live, work and play here. Let’s work together to preserve the harmonious environment where we all can enjoy life without worry about disruptive behavior that could negatively impact the enjoyment of the Town Centre’s facilities, services and events,”
Dart Vice President Property Management Marvin Cox
He goes on to share that:
“I’m asking parents to be mindful of this and that minors should not be dropped off to roam without supervision. The public can also rest assured that we do not take reports of poorly behaved youth lightly and are working with key parties to address the issue, as well as the root causes, as this is an issue for the entire Cayman Islands community and not just at Camana Bay.”
Anyone witnessing disruptive behavior should contact any security or police officer who is on hand or call the Camana Bay security team at 640-HELP (4357). If criminal behavior is spotted, you’re encouraged to call 911.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid