66 murders in July, 3rd highest in Trinidad and Tobago history

In July, TT experienced its bloodiest month of the year, as 66 murders were recorded – nine more than the previous highest month, March which had 57.

This becomes the third bloodiest month in TT's history, only outdone in November 2021 with 69 murders and August 2022 with 68.

As of July 31, TT had suffered 350 murders for the year.

The murder count for July was provided to Newsday by a senior police source while data for January-June was obtained from the TT Police Service's website.

The monthly murder toll has been 60 or more, nine times in the past: in January and May of 2018 (60 each); in July, 2019 (60); in November, 2021 (69); in July (65), August (68) and October (66) of 2022; and in January, 2023 (61).

Newsday contacted deputy Commissioner of Police (CoP) responsible for operations Junior Benjamin on August 2 for his thoughts on the disturbing data.

He said the police was not happy with the current spike murders.

"We are seeing a slight increase compared to last year, which is approximately a three per cent increase.

"It is a bit concerning, but not alarming – meaning decreasing it is in striking distance."

He said crime varied from division-to-division and police were actively using intelligence-led, evidence-based policing and solutions.

"Where murders are gang-related we have put the necessary infrastructure and strategies in place to deal with the prolific offenders.

"Where it is domestic we are addressing the situation by having community police and initiatives to assist in those areas."

The senior police source broke down the murders in July by division – Port of Spain (14), Southern (7), Western (2), Northern (8), Central (8), Southwestern (6), Eastern (7), Northeastern (7), North Central (1) and Tobago (6).

Benjamin said the TTPS are utilising the best practices from all over the world to assess the situation.

"It might be slowly, but surely we will overcome situation."

With 50 murders being recorded in July, 2023, this July saw 16 more murders – a 32 per cent increase.

July also recorded a 29 per cent increase over murders this June in which there were 51.

When tallied, the murder toll up to July 31 this year stood at 350, 12 more than July 31 last year (338) – a 3.55 per cent increase.

On July 14, Comissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher said she aimed to reduce homicides by ten per cent this year, but is not currently on course to meet that target.

Harewood-Christopher said her violent-crime-reduction plan was a holistic one aimed at managing violent crime.

“We are focusing on the dismantling of criminal gangs, the retrieval of illegal firearms, the eradication of drug blocks, and increased focus on transnational crime. We are enhancing our police intelligence capability. We are leveraging the use of technology to enhance police operations.”

Harewood-Christopher said the police continued to monitor the targets set out in the plan.

“We are focusing on a 30 per cent reduction for violent crime, a 25 per cent detection for homicides, a 15 per cent increase in the retrieval of firearms, a 15 per cent reduction in serious crimes, a ten per cent reduction in homicide, a 20 per cent reduction in violent crimes, a ten per cent reduction in larceny of motor vehicles, a five per cent reduction in fatal traffic accidents.”

Contacted for comment on July's murder toll on August 4, former CoP Gary Griffith asked the country not to give up hope.

"This is the same TTPS where public trust and confidence was a whooping 59 per cent up until 2021.

"It is also the same TTPS that ensured the highest reduction in violent crime in 17 years during a period where other countries because of covid, crime was escalating – Jamaica, Guyana and almost every city in the United States."

Griffith said the police had the capabilities and maturity to turn the crime situation around.

"We can win this war."

He said the government had "totally politicised" the police.

Griffith said when he left office, during covid and the public health regulations in 2021, the murders in October and November had the third highest and highest number of murders in the country's history respectively at that time.

Newsday confirmed that 58 murders were reported in October and 69 were recorded in November, 2021.

Griffith said initiatives like the police app and online reporting helped the police, things he claimed were not done under the current administration.

"Erla has put us back to the 1970s by putting a drop box for people to put recommendations, and it's not to knock her, but the hierarchy of the police service are not tech-savvy and do not understand 21st-century policing."

He added the current hierarchy's solution to crime was to "conduct road-blocks and removing tint from glass...

"After 15 minutes of road-blocks it becomes totally ineffective due to WAZE, WhatsApp groups and criminals having scouts."

Griffith said the criminals were benefiting from the tech-illiterate police hierarchy.

"The criminals continue to move forward and build their capacity and are slowly taking more and more control of the streets."

Griffith said as a patriot, he hoped the current CoP succeeded in her plans to reduce crime but recalled sending Harewood-Christopher on two years leave when he was CoP because "she could not keep up with the pace...

"I was working 20 hours a day, seven days a week being on the ground.

"Erla does not have that type of strength, fitness or operational understanding, but she says the right things."

Griffith said while he had a lot of respect for the CoP, he did not see her accomplishing the goals she had set – but he hoped that she did.

Griffith also believes TT is on course for over 600 murders by the end of this year.

"All we have to do is the maths, 350 murders divided by seven is 50 murders per month. That is over 600."

The police are currently behind the intended homicide target, with 284 murders recorded in the first half of 2024 compared to 288 in 2023, a reduction of just 1.4 per cent.

The homicide detection rate is lagging, with 20 of those 284 murders solved (seven per cent) compared to 37 of 288 murders (12.85 per cent) in June 2023.

On July 18, all ten policing divisions engaged in 148 co-ordinated exercises, with 113 people being arrested,

This came after a meeting of the National Security Council, in which the Prime Minister called in CoP and the head of the various divisions, responding to a "bloodbath weekend" where 19 people were killed from July 12-15.

In August there have been five murders so far, up to August 4.

Two of those five, have come in Tobago pushing Tobago's murder toll to 18 for the year – the highest in the island's history.