THERE are only 64 countries in the world smaller than Trinidad and Tobago and, in terms of land mass, we rank 171 out of 235 nations.As per population, Trinidad and Tobago is 153 on the list of 235, the United States Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook says.Now compare our size and population to the number of murders being committed here daily.In a comparative study of more than 75 countries, Trinidad and Tobago was ranked the ninth most homicidal in the world in 2007, based on the number of murders committed per 100,000 citizens.
In Trinidad and Tobago, in the five years since 2003, the per capita murder rate almost doubled, increasing by over 70 per cent from 17.61 to 30.15, one of the largest jumps in the countries surveyed.
The ratio of murder victims to the population of this country is in fact so high we rank above places like Brazil, which recorded over 51,000 murders last year, Russia over 23,000 murders, the United States over 17,000 murders and Mexico over 14,000 murders
For this year so far, the per capita rate is just above 20 and if murder trends continue with a killing taking place every 17 hours on average, homicide investigators say we can expect over 500 murders at the end of this year.If Homicide Bureau projections - based on murders committed so far and compared with trends for previous years - are correct, then we would end up with a per capita rate of over 38, making Trinidad and Tobago as homicidal as Colombia and South Africa.
In Trinidad and Tobago, since 2001, the murder rate has on average increased by 24 per cent every year with the biggest jump being in 2005 with a 48 per cent increase in homicides over 2004
n terms of per capita murders in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago is second only to Jamaica and ranked more violent than Haiti, which is 17 on the list with a per capita rate of 11.5.
Something has to change or it's time to find a new country to call home.
