Complaints
and enquiries regarding public sector entities, data protection
issues and freedom of information (FOI) appeals all increased in the
months after Cayman’s COVID 19 lockdown, according to records
released Thursday by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The
Ombudsman received a total of 97 enquiries from the public during
third quarter 2020, compared to 59 during April-June this year. A
total of 74 matters were placed under review by office staff during
July-September, compared to 46 during the April-June period. Data
protection, maladministration and public complaints against police
all increased significantly during the third quarter.

“Our
staff members remained operational throughout the entire lockdown
period, but it’s clear workloads have increased as life here has
returned to some semblance of normalcy,” said Sandy Hermiston,
Cayman Islands Ombudsman.

Some
notable developments from the third quarter include:

• The
  data protection unit recorded more data breach notifications (22) in
  the third quarter than it had in any other quarter of 2020
  
• Police
  and maladministration investigators resolved 35 cases during the
  quarter, a significant increase from 23 in the second quarter
  
  
• More
  whistleblower complaints were received in the third quarter than the
  office had seen in the entire first half of the year
  
  

“Our
office investigates a wide variety of matters, ranging from public
complaints against government, to whistleblower complaints, to data
privacy issues, to open records disputes,” Ms. Hermiston said.
“Given that 8 October is International Ombuds Day, we thought it
was a good time to update the Cayman Islands public on our progress.”

Ombuds
Day, which has been marked globally since 2018, serves to highlight
the important services Ombudsman offices provide in their
communities, typically free of charge and independent of government
or civil society.

“Our
office’s work is not just about investigations that identify areas
for improvement,” Ms. Hermiston said. “It is also about resolving
disputes and finding solutions that are acceptable to all parties
involved.”

Anyone
with questions or concerns about open records, data privacy, public
sector complaints or whistleblower matters may contact the Office of
the Ombudsman via phone at 946-6283 or via email at
into@ombudsman.ky. Our
website, www.ombudsman.ky
also has much more information about the open records process in the
Cayman Islands. All matters discussed are kept strictly confidential.
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