Panellists at a crime symposium hosted in March this year by The Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Social Sciences at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), have issued a call to action on what they state is “an escalating crime crisis” in Trinidad and Tobago.
A release from The UWI shares highlights from the symposium titled, “Simulating Solutions: Combating Crime and Criminality in Trinidad and Tobago”, which took place on Thursday 21 March 2024, at The UWI’s St. Augustine Campus. The aim of the symposium was the development of a comprehensive, multi-sector approach to confront the nation's escalating crime epidemic.
“The severity of the crime situation was underscored by the grim statistics presented during the symposium,” said the statement issued by The UWI.
“In December 2022, the reported number of murders soared to an alarming record of 587, slightly decreasing to 555 in December 2023,” the release noted. “Regrettably, the year 2024 has already witnessed over 125 murders, signalling a distressing trend of unabated violence.”
The symposium’s panel of experts emphasized that while proactive measures are crucial, effectively addressing the crime crisis demands a comprehensive approach that extends beyond collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community involvement in tackling the crime crisis.
Panel moderator Dr Indira Rampersad, Head of the Department of Political Science, emphasized the critical need for reform within T&T’s criminal justice system.
"It is hoped that the solutions proposed by the distinguished panel of experts will serve as the cornerstone for a policy paper to be presented to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago," she stated.
Criminal justice experts and practitioners participating in the symposium’s expert panel included: The Honourable Mr. Justice Winston Anderson of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); Mr. Ugo Blanco, Resident Representative for the UNDP Multi-Country Office; Ms. Hasine Shaikh, Chief Public Defender for Trinidad and Tobago; Ms. Lynette Seebaran-Suite SC, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Law Association and Honorary Graduate of The UWI; Mr. Martin Lum Kin, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association; and Corporal Zaheer Ali from the Special Investigations Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
Ugo Blanco, representing the UNDP Multi-Country Office, emphasized the imperative of data-driven strategies, stressing the necessity for baselines to gauge the effectiveness of interventions.
And Hasine Shaikh, Chief Public Defender, proposed several pivotal solutions to address the crisis, including a paradigm shift in the classification of murder, advocating for restorative justice for both adults and children within the justice system, and the reassessment of overly punitive sentencing options in favour of more rehabilitative approaches.