Following a Freedom of Information Request from Cayman lawyer Peter Polack he has discovered there was not one police officer recruited from the United Kingdom who took part in the 2014 Remembrance Day Parade.

The answers supplied by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) to the Request are as follows:

Answers to your FOI request of 9 November 2014:

FOI request in regard to RCIPS parade excluding band members on Remembrance Day 9 November 2014:

– Number of members of RCIPS in marching unit of parade excluding band (22)

– Number of Caymanian members of RCIPS in marching unit of parade excluding band (13)

– Number of UK members of RCIPS in parade in marching unit of parade excluding band (0)

– Number of Jamaican members of RCIPS in parade in marching unit of parade excluding band (8)

– Citizenship of other members of RCIPS in parade in marching unit of parade excluding band (1) Philippines )

Polack received his answer nearly four months after the Request was made confirming the 22 member marching unit for the Remembrance Day parade did not include any UK officers.

Polack makes the following comments:

“In an upside down reflection of the force there were 13 Caymanians, 8 Jamaicans and one Filipino but no one from Barbados or Belize also.

“The parade is considered to be one of the more arduous tasks assigned to a police officer requiring training sessions and long periods in the hot Caribbean sun.

“A more recent parade after the FOI request was made saw a nominal amount of UK officers being present.

“It is believed that nearly all UK officers in the RCIPS are specialist officers and there has been no attempt to promote from within the force which is a source of discord for the mainly Caribbean rank and file officers who have not benefitted from any upward mobility in large numbers.”

Would anyone like to comment on this?

No one from the RCIPS has as yet.

What is surprising is down through history the English are renown for parades, marching and being out in the sun. They enjoy going out in the hot sun so why did the police commanders stop them? haven’t they heard of that famous song “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”? By gad sir. This is how the British Empire was won – marching, parades and all in the midday sun! They are born for it.

“In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It’s one of the rules that the greatest fools obey
Because the sun is much too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry-violet ray.
(But) Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
It seems such a shame when the English claim the earth,
They give rise to such hilarity and mirth.
Ha ha ha ha hoo hoo hoo hoo hee hee hee hee ……
Even caribous lie around and snooze, for there’s nothing else to do.
In Bengal to move at all is seldom ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.”

Taken from Mad Dogs And Englishmen By Noel Coward.

I hope the Caymanians in our police force will enjoy the above.

So at the next Remembrance Parade we want to see the Brits – all of them! Damn me sir!!