Crime is out of control in Trinidad, the Anglican bishop of the twin island nation said this week, after gunmen killed four people in Port-of-Spain in what police call a targeted assassination.
The US State Department has asked American citizens to reconsider travel in light of the crime wave plaguing Trinidad and Tobago. The advisory followed the 27 December 2023 shooting along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. The incident occurred at around 2:35 pm when five men were traveling westbound on the highway. Upon reaching the University of the West Indies intersection traffic light, a black vehicle pulled up alongside and opened fire.
Cellphone videos circulating on social media show the victims running and being gunned down during a high-speed chase on the highway as they attempted to escape the assailants. Eventually, the victims crashed into a container at the roadside. Abandoning their vehicle, they fled in different directions, only to be pursued by the attackers. Three of the men were fatally shot, as was a bystander.
The US State Department advisory said criminal activity often occured in crowded public locations such as markets, shopping malls, airports, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, transportation hubs, schools, and other areas, and urged Americans to exercise extreme caution in the St. Augustine areas of Trincity Mall, Trincity, Grand Bazaar, and Valsayn neighborhoods.
Trinidad’s Inter-Religious Organisation president Pandit Lloyd Mukram Sirjoo said prayer is important, but the authorities need to take decisive action to stop gang violence. “The authorities, what are they doing to stem that? We need prayer, yes, every time we say we need prayer. And in every church and mandir and mosque and temple we have, we keep praying, but like it is not working because I don’t know what else we can do. We have to take the bull by the horn, we have to get deeper into this thing,” he said according to local news reports.
The Rt. Rev. Claude Berkley, Bishop of Trinidad and Togabo, said the situation had spun out of control. He urged the government to take immediate action. “I propose that it requires coming together, conversation and action from leadership across the nation and inclusive of all citizens to see how we can best reduce the incidents which are occurring.”
The underlying problem, the bishop said, was the collapse of ethics and morals. Strengthening the family and emphasizing religious faith were essential in stopping Trinidad’s crime wave, which saw 577 murders in 2023.
