T&T’S MURDER RATE WORSE THAN LARGE US CITIES

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s murder rate is worse than each of the 10 largest cities in the United States.

Research shows that with a homicide rate of 45 per 100,000, T&T is more cruel and vicious than even the most populous American cities.

Philadelphia, Chicago, and Houston have murder rates of 34.1, 18.2, and 11 respectively.

The incidences of homicide in Dallas, New York, and San Antonio are 11. 9.7, and 9.4 respectively.

In Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose, the respective murder rates are 8.5, 7.3, 3.4, and 2.2.

The US national average is 7.8 murders per 100,000.

T&T’s homicide rate is also higher than that of Venezuela, which has fallen to 26.8.

But Caracas remains extremely violent, with a murder rate of 50.8 per 100,000.

Since almost eight million Venezuelans fled their country in recent years, the migrants are likely to include criminals.

There are thousands of illegal Venezuelan migrants in T&T, some of whom have been arrested for criminal offences.

Strife-torn Haiti, with a population of 11.58 million, had 4,789 homicides last year, a dramatic climb from 2,000 murders the previous year.

The crisis-hit land is also besieged with kidnappings, extortions, assaults, and other serious crimes.

But an international peace-keeping force, led by Kenyan law enforcement officers, has begun challenging powerful gangsters.

The gangsters are still attacking Port-au-Prince police stations, food transporters, and other critical services, but experts expect the Kenyan forces to reduce the crime spree.

El Salvador, one of the hemisphere’s most brutal countries, has seen a turnaround with the no-nonsense intervention of President Nayib Bukele.

A total of 81,000 suspected gangsters were arrested and jailed up to last July, making El Salvador the country with the world’s highest incarceration rate.

Bukele’s firm measure has led to a fall in serious crimes.

Ecuador, which until a couple of years ago had a similar murder rate to T&T of 45, has recently improved as a result of an all-out crackdown by the authorities.

Like T&T, the Latin country became a narco and money-laundering state, with accompanying bloody crimes.

President Daniel Noboa adopted a militarised strategy similar to that of Bukele with an “internal armed conflict” and a state of emergency, in which several major gang operators were held.

The State challenged the criminals on several fronts.

Ecuador is now designated Level 2 in the United States’ travel advisory.

Travellers are urged to “exercise caution.”

The US has labelled T&T Level 3, with the warning to “Reconsider Travel.”

Mexico, another high-impact crime country is achieving success through a number of measures, including the use of surveillance and security cameras.

The Central American country is utilising resources offered by American authorities.

In T&T, the Government has made no efforts to plug the porous maritime borders, to curb gun, drug and human trafficking.

There is a critical shortage of CCTV cameras and other critical crime-fighting tools, and key American support has not been maximised.

Armed and vicious gangsters continue to ride roughshod over a tortured and besieged land.