Gail Alexander
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The murder rate in T&T has almost doubled in the last two years, figures from National Security Minister Martin Joseph confirmed yesterday. Speaking at yesterday’s weekly post-cabinet media briefing, Joseph gave murder rate figures for January to May 2009, as well as for the corresponding periods in 2008 and 2007.
Joseph said there were 198 murders up to May 12, 2009. The figure was 168 for the same period (January to May) in 2008. It stood at 101 murders for the corresponding period in 2007, Joseph added. He said almost 70 per cent of murders were gang-related which were very difficult to investigate since tracing and reluctance of witnesses were often involved. On increased use of technology, Joseph said that T&T—along with other Caricom states—had signed an agreement with the US Justice Department’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit to access a system known as E-Trace.
This would assist local law enforcement agencies to trace the origin of firearms used in crimes. Joseph said the system could help identify firearms trafficking sources and was another step in information-sharing on illicit guns. He said Caricom also had a regional ballistic information service which would link with other ballistic services used in North America and Europe to enhance crime pattern analysis. On whether the US might assist in other anti-crime measures which would further help in removing guns from the corridors of the Americas region, Joseph said the US would meet with Caricom territories on May 20 in Suriname on these and other matters.
