Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, August 8, 2025 – The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has deployed one of its helicopters and a flight crew to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to aid in national security operations, as the territory grapples with a deadly crime wave.
Funded by the TCI Government and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the RCIPS aircraft arrives amid heightened urgency. The country has now recorded 24 murders in 2025—including four killed in a single mass shooting at a hookah lounge on July 27. The final victim, a private security guard, succumbed to injuries on Sunday.
“This is a serious situation, and as I’ve said previously, it is important that we support our BOT [British Overseas Territory] colleagues whenever possible,” said Cayman Police Commissioner Kurt Walton. “Our second helicopter was purchased with additional FCDO funding, partly to enable us to assist when needed. We are happy to do so for Turks and Caicos during this critical time.”
The deployment comes as police also pursue a suspect wanted for the double murder of two brothers in Blue Hills. Illegal migration is another mounting concern, with officials pointing to a wave of undocumented arrivals from Haiti—some allegedly connected to organized crime—along with more recent links to criminals from Jamaica and The Bahamas.
The Cayman aircraft will boost surveillance and rapid response capabilities for the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF), while Cayman’s other helicopter remains in the Cayman Islands to maintain local coverage.
Once known for recording one or two homicides a year, TCI has become one of the most violent countries per capita—a staggering shift for a nation of just 45,000 residents.
