RCIPS officers’ 30 years of service
(CNS Local Life): Three police officers recently celebrated 30 years of service to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. In August 1989, Police Inspector Rudolph Gordon, Police Inspector Eustace Joseph and Senior Police Constable Stephen Myers joined our ranks after being trained locally as police constables, an RCIPS release said.
Inspector Gordon was promoted to the rank of sergeant in September 1996. During this term he worked in Community Policing and later the Commercial Crime Branch, now known as the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit, where he spent 13 years of his career. In 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Inspector. During this period, he worked mainly in the Uniform Branch.
“I love what I do,” Inspector Gordon said. “It wasn’t until I started working in Community Policing two years after joining that I started to really love this job. It was extremely fulfilling to know that the work that I was doing actually benefitted people, and I could physically see the difference that I was making in people’s lives.”
Inspector Joseph spent most of his career as a detective and still does investigative work with the police. Although he has worked in departments such as the Uniform Support Group (now the Firearms Response Unit) and on shifts across Grand Cayman, the bulk of his work has been spent in Criminal Investigations.
He said, “I never really knew the level of crime and issues that faced our country and its people until I became a police officer. When I found out, I wanted to do all that I could to reduce the impact of crime on my home and that’s why I became interested in investigation.”
SPC Myers has served in various departments, mainly in the uniform branch. He has worked in all districts of Grand Cayman in the Juvenile Bureau, now the Family Support Unit, and briefly as part of the Criminal Investigations unit. Much like Inspector Gordon, he has spent a great deal of his 30 years as a police officer in Community Policing.
He often combines his roles by working closely with the detectives, especially in West Bay. He enjoys working with children and developing youth outreach projects. One of his greatest accomplishments was working with the Black Pearl Skate Park. He assisted the development of an after-school programme for children and spent eight years nurturing the project.
Originally from the UK, SPC Myers migrated to the Cayman Islands intending to spend a short time, but after living here for a year he decided to make the Cayman Islands his home. He enlisted in the RCIPS in his quest to ensure he did his part to contribute to the maintenance of the beauty and kindness of the Cayman Islands.
SPC Myers now holds more of an administrative role within the service, where he assists the Area Commander and the day time shifts. He is also detailed as a Family Liaison Officer (FLO) on major incidents where tragedies are involved.
He said, “It’s not the easiest job being a FLO for grieving families, but I take comfort in knowing that my job keeps families informed and lets them know that we are doing the best that we can to solve the problem, whatever it may be. It’s sad but also fulfilling.”
SPC Myers added, “My favourite thing about policing is the positive impact that we can have on the people we interact with on a daily basis. I wanted to be a positive influence on the youth and I take great pride in knowing that I have done so.”
As for their next moves, Inspector Joseph said, “I really love what I do and I want to remain in law enforcement for as long as possible. My favourite thing about the development of law enforcement is the connectivity with law enforcement agencies globally. Technology has brought us together in such a good way and it fascinates me.”
Inspector Gordon said, “At the moment I love what I do. It carries a sense of purpose and distinction knowing that the role that I take on daily is an important part of the functioning of the RCIPS.”
SPC Myers said, “Policing will always be a love and passion for me. I will continue to work to the best of my ability for as long as I am able. I love knowing that I made one person’s life better because of my work.”
When asked what advice they would give to new officers, they each had different, but complementary, advice.
Inspector Joseph said, “I would encourage each and every officer to live by the letter of the law that they are expected to enforce. I also want to stress the importance of an officer’s integrity. Without it, you are nothing as an officer.”
Inspector Gordon said, “I would like to encourage each and every officer to seek development always. I want to see the youth of the service excel. If there is something that you are interested in, learn about it, and specialize in it, with or without the service’s aid, because at the end of the day, education and professional development benefit you and your marketability.”
SPC Myers said, “I would like to tell all the aspiring officers that they should take pride in their careers, because your job is one of the most important in any society. Our commitment is to the public and we have to develop a solid foundation with the people that we work with and work for. In order to do that professionalism and customer service is paramount.”
The RCIPS said that all three men have made a lasting impact on the RCIPS over the past 30 years. “The Senior Command Team and all the staff of the RCIPS commend them on their commitment and service. We look forward to their continued service,” the release stated.
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Category: Civil Service, Local News, Police
