GEORGE TOWN (Reuters) - The Cayman Islands has brought in British police to tackle a rise in gang-related crime that business leaders fear could hurt the territory's image as a safe finance and tourism destination.
Fourteen British officers arrived in the Caribbean hedge fund hub late on Wednesday after they were requested by Cayman Police Commissioner David Baines.
The murder rate in the small British territory, with a population of 55,000, remains low compared with Caribbean country like Jamaica. But the 390-strong local police force has been stretched since the start of the year by five murders, a kidnapping, armed robberies and shootings.
Victims included a 4-year-old boy killed in crossfire.
Cayman authorities and local leaders in tourism, financial services and real estate are worried the spike in crime could damage the islands' reputation for safety and security, which has underpinned its emergence as a legal domain for many of the world's hedge funds.
