The country’s murder count has reached the 500 mark, following a killing in San Juan yesterday, and at least two anti-crime stakeholders fear this year’s toll could surpass 650.
Police said Mark Alexander, 28, of Quarry Road, San Juan, was waiting along the roadway for his son to come home from school. They said he was accustomed to doing so every day. However, at 1.30 pm he was approached by a gunman who shot him several times.
Alexander was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, by a neighbour – where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
A total of 12 spent shell casings were collected at the scene.
And on Monday night, Leon Leacock was sleeping at his Springvale, Claxton Bay home when he heard a noise. As he opened the door to check he was shot dead.
The grim milestone has prompted stakeholders to call for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s crime-fighting strategies.
Criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad, Pastor Clive Dottin, and former commissioner of police Gary Griffith have outlined a range of solutions, underscoring the urgency of tackling crime.
Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad, who is the coordinator of the Criminology Unit at the University of the West Indies, said the current detection and prosecution strategies are falling short.
He explained that overwhelmed homicide investigators were unable to give cases the attention they required, and insufficient forensic capacity further hampers investigations. His projections show that if there is no intervention now, there could be over 700 murders annually.
Seepersad said broader societal conditions were driving crime—such as unemployment, dysfunctional family structures, and lack of youth engagement.
“If we leave these unaddressed, we will continue to see crime rise,” he warned.
To reduce crime effectively, Seepersad reiterated that it was crucial to strengthen the criminal justice system by improving law enforcement, intelligence, judicial processes, customs, prisons, and related entities. This includes hiring more homicide investigators to manage the growing number of cases and specialising in key areas like forensic science and CCTV analysis.
Meanwhile, Pastor Clive Dottin pointed to the deeply entrenched gang culture that has continued to grow over the years. He explained that gangs have a sophisticated recruitment system, often targeting vulnerable youths in secondary schools. “Criminals are outsmarting us; they have a recruitment programme and practice swift, brutal justice without delay,” Dottin said.
Dottin urged a community-based approach, including the introduction of more extracurricular programmes, career guidance, and family life counselling initiatives. He also called for a national service programme to engage idle youths and prevent them from being recruited into gangs.
“We must engage our youths in positive activities—whether it’s through sporting clubs, environmental programmes, or community centres—before the gangs do.”
And former police commissioner Griffith emphasised the importance of leveraging modern technology to suppress crime.
“We are not doomed; it’s not too late to peg back crime,” he said. Citing his success in reducing crime during his tenure, Griffith attributed this to “21st-century policing,” which included rapid response, high visibility, and technological advancements such as GPS tracking, body cameras, and a robust Emergency Response Patrol system.
“All the tools, technology, and systems we had in place—such as GPS tracking and body cameras—are no longer being used,” Griffith claimed. He stressed the importance of public accountability through measures like a fully operational 999 system and a rapid response time of under five minutes.
Griffith believes the failure to continue along the trajectory of crime reduction has resulted in a surge in murders, which he feared may be approaching 650.
“When I was commissioner, there were 343 murders. Had we continued on that path, we could have reduced murders by 20 per cent,” he said.