Good news. Crime down. It’s good news day.

I am NOT being cynical like the Hedgehoppers Anonymous song some years ago – 1965 – titled “It’s Good News Week”.

Does anyone remember the lyrics?

Have you heard the news
What did it say?
Who’s won that race?
What’s the weather like today?

That actually is the mildest verse.

It starts off with:

It’s good news week
Someone’s dropped a bomb somewhere
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky

It’s good news week
Someone’s found a way to give
The rotting dead a will to live
Go on and never die

And ends with:

It’s good news week
Families shake the need for gold
By stimulating birth control
We’re wanting less to eat

It’s good news week
Doctors finding many ways
Of wrapping brains on metal trays
To keep us from the heat
To keep us from the heat
To keep us from the heat

No. No. This really is GOOD news.

I am speaking about our story we published on February 18th 2016 “Cayman Islands crime stats show drop in overall crimes” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/cayman-islands-crime-stats-show-drop-in-overall-crimes/

“Year-end 2015 crime statistics show drop in serious, volume and other crimes.
Crime statistics for last year reflect a drop in crime across most categories, with an overall decrease in the crime rate of 7%. Most significantly, the number of burglaries and robberies in the Cayman Islands, the types of crime often noted as most worrisome to the public, are down by 6% and 17%, respectively, in comparison to last year.

“We have dedicated resources and personnel specifically to fighting burglaries and robberies, and our skilled detectives have had some real success in locking up serial burglars and increasing robbery arrests in recent months,” said Kurt Walton, Chief Superintendent. “Nonetheless, as we can see from the armed robbery that occurred in Camana Bay yesterday evening, we can never rest and we do not intend to. We are aggressively pursuing all leads in order to arrest these robbery suspects, as we do in each and every case.”

“Altogether, the rate of serious crime is down 3%, but serious and violent crime (such as rape, murder, wounding) has dropped even more, by 13% from last year, and as much as 37% from its high four years prior, in 2011.”

So this should be celebrated. Nowhere have I seen any praise for David Baines, Commissioner of Police. Shouldn’t there be?

All of us, and I do include myself, castigated him for the crime figures in 2011, There were many calls, and still are, for his resignation.

If one was to continue in the vain of the ‘It’s Good News Week” song we would be singing

Have you heard the news
What did it say
Despite Commish Baines
Crime is down I’m pleased to say.

It’s good news day
Cayman’s police have found a way
To combat crime and keep us safe
And keep those thieves at bay – HURRAH!

So let’s cheer for once and the man at top Commissioner Baines MUST be given the credit. Can you imagine what would have been sung about him if crime had gone up?

So I am going to sing It’s Good News DAY!!! Shouldn’t you?