Trinidad’s crime situation has worsened so much recently that the business community is calling for a resumption of hanging of criminals.
They want authorities to resume hanging to combat violent crime and a spate of home invasions, while others are calling for emergency measures to be imposed. The last hanging in Trinidad was in 1999.
The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, regional chambers of commerce and prominent businessmen say the situation is out of control and it is hindering foreign direct investment opportunities, while forcing residents to live in fear and with daily trauma.
For the year so far Trinidad has lost more than 160 people mostly to gun violence and clashes between heavily armed gangs. This compares to 139 for the same period last year, indicating that last year’s record number of 606 killings will likely increase this year.
“I would like to see the return of the death penalty because nothing else seems to be working,” said business mogul Derek Chin. “There is no value for human life. The crime situation is extremely worrying and to have a situation where the commissioner says crime will be under control by June and we are already in the middle of April and the murders are getting out of hand. This is a very grave concern to all of us in the business community.”
Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s administration is under severe pressure from all quarters of society to curtail violent crime even though it has bedevilled every administration for over 30 years.
Minister of Security, Fitz Hinds, defended plans by cabinet not to impose a state of emergency. The last time that happened was in 2011 when police and soldiers had a purge on criminals, arresting and detaining suspects, hauling others before the courts and carrying out raids in troublesome communities. But nothing changed then. The high crime rate is expected to be a major agenda topic for political parties in general elections due in 2025.
Minister of Sports Shamfa Cudjoe said that she restricts her movements in many parts of Trinidad, unlike Tobago. “There are some things that I can do in Tobago that I cannot do in Trinidad,” said Cudjoe, mentioning that she loves running late at night but only does that in Tobago.
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