Not Surprising.
Those are the words of Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob, following questions concerning an international report that ranked Trinidad and Tobago 6th worldwide in crime.
TT was ranked sixth amongst countries with the highest crime rates in a report posted by the World Population Review.
Jacob made the comment following an appreciation ceremony for Earnest Constantine, of Paramin, at the House of Angostura in Laventille. Constantine was heralded for his honesty after finding a bag containing thousands of dollars and returning it to its owner.
Jacob said he would have to read the report to understand the analysis, but admitted the figures were not surprising but added that he hoped that TT’s ranking would be lowered by the end of the year.
“I think it’s for the first quarter, and we will admit that in the first four months of this year we have had high incidence of crime, and I am not a bit surprised, because last year we ended up in ninth place when they did the analysis. But I will have to see who did it, how it was done. But it is in fact a good guide for us.”
“If it changes or whether it changes at the end of the six months or at the end of the year we will be looking forward to answer similar questions on why we have now moved from sixth place to 15th place or 20th place.”
Jacob said several strategies were being introduced to reduce long-term crime through various community outreach programmes to assist in anger management, conflict resolution and life skills.
He stressed that the police would “continue pushing,” and said the participation of the youths and communities were critical factors in any anti-crime initiative.
Meanwhile, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, speaking following the same event, described the report as unfortunate, but maintains that all resources and efforts are being directed to address violence.
The World Population Review website published figures per 100,000 people, with Trinidad and Tobago ranking number six, above Jamaica, Brazil and El Salvador.
Hinds said, “It is a reflection of the level of violence that exists in the world and exists in our society and many other societies of the world. It is a reflection of human behaviour.
“The government on your behalf is directing tremendous resources towards these initiatives.
“The battle continues. It’s a moving target, it’s not an end state that you can easily grasp. No one can deal with this situation overnight, because it didn’t happen overnight.
“It has a lot to do with the culture of the society, the way we bring up our children, what we do and what we don’t do.”
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