Letter from the Publisher

Nirvan Balkisson

Despite decreases in murders, Trinidad and Tobago remains in the top 35 homicidal countries in the world. This from a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime which released a 100-page report it complied on 207 countries surveyed. The report entitled “Global Study on Homicide: Trends Context and Data 2011 (for the year 2010 and leading up to it) was published by the UNODC last week.

Based on 2010 murder figures this country is third in the Caribbean following Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis and has an even higher per capita murder rate than Colombia.

The UNODC report pointed out that in the Americas Trinidad and Tobago had the eighth highest per capita murder rate. Port of Spain was also among the most homicidal cities in the world with a per capita rate above 30. Figures show that 40 per cent of the countries on which data was compiled had a per capita murder rate of less than three per 100,000 people, while Trinidad and Tobago ranked very high among 17 per cent of countries with a per capita rate of above 20.

The report noted that since 1995 many countries experienced decreases in murders with increases “particularly in Central America and the Caribbean, where today it can be seen to be nearing crisis point.” It continued: “All countries where there has been strengthening of the rule of law in the last 15 years there has also been a decline in the homicide rate, while most countries where homicide has  increased have a relatively weak rule of law.”

The UNODC found that with the exception of a temporary drop in homicide rates in 2006 the Caribbean, lead by Jamaica and Trinidad ad Tobago experienced a steady increase in murders linked to drug and crime. “In comparison to countries in other regions, countries in the Americas have on average high homicide rates associated with relatively high levels of development suggesting that factors other than development such as organised crime play a disproportionate role in driving homicide levels,” the report said.

Paradoxically though sharp drops in drug interdictions in the region and transshipments of narcotics through here have served to fuel murders. “This can be traced to increased competition between drug trafficking organisations fighting for their share of a diminished market.”

Between 1997 and 2009 drug seizures in the Caribbean decreased by 71 per cent and in 2009 only 10 per cent of cocaine US-bound was transshipped through the Caribbean. Interestingly though the report found an increase in trans-national narco smuggling through the borders of our closest neighbour, Venezuela.

Local authorities have said that much of the cocaine coming to our shore passes through that country.

Source: http://www.unodc.or/documents/data and analysis/institutions/homicides/global_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf