Trinidad’s crime spikes

Trinidad and Tobago’s reputation for violence has been further damaged by a catalogue of murders in the first week of the new year.

Much of the violence is attributed to the drug trade and its ripple effects — including gang warfare and widespread use of illegal weapons. But the country is also grappling with a spate of violent home invasions - some fatal – as well as kidnapping and femicide (women killed).

Trinidad’s first murder of 2024 was on New Year’s Day of Adundi Telemaque, 41, who relatives say was targeted because of his refusal to join a gang. There was also a fatal shooting in Tobago. By January 2, three women had been slaughtered: Teneisha Jackie, 19, killed in a drive-by shooting in a busy area of Port of Spain; and Calida Schamber, 43, and her mother Carmelita DeLeon, 66, who were shot dead allegedly after Schamber’s estranged partner, a solider, carried out threats to kill her. There had been police reports and a restraining order against him for some time. The couple’s toddler son was in the house at the time of the shooting.

The second double murder of the year came just a day after, at the Tunapuna Market, situated along Trinidad’s east-west corridor. Mikael Hernandez and Aaron Leander were killed after several men got out of a car and started shooting at a group close to where Hernandez and Leander were hanging out. Three others were wounded, with one victim reportedly in critical condition. Police said that the attack was drug-related. On January 3, a former prisoner who was reportedly trying to turn his life around, was murdered. His sister feels poor parenting as one of the contributing factors to the crime surge.

While the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) reported a five percent decrease in homicides — 576 in 2023 compared to 605 in 2022 — the public remains concerned for their safety and distressed about the levels of national domestic violence.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley said recently: “We will redouble all efforts to curtail these violent outbursts, hunt down and disarm the perpetrators and make operational adjustments so that the state security services can act with dispatch.” Despite the PM’s good intentions, many remain sceptical over this widespread, long-term problem.

Rowley suggested on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve that citizens need to inform on criminals and they have nothing to fear from the judicial system. He encouraged citizens to report any illegal activities they witnessed to the police. However, many live in small communities where everyone knows one another, and many fear reprisals if they report criminality. There is also very little confidence in the police service, especially among residents of impoverished and marginalised communities.

In 2023, Trinidad and Tobago was ranked 12th in a list of the world’s most dangerous countries. South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Somalia are the top five most dangerous countries.