The Rise Of Guns, Drugs And Gangsters In The Caribbean

Category: MNI View Created on Saturday, 08 October 2011 08:27 Written by Jeevan Robinson

When Usain Bolt breaks world records and strikes his famous victory pose, Caribbean people are united with pride. When the West Indies cricket team sucker a rare victory, Caribbean people become united with optimism. But when the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report that Caribbean young men are second only to those in Central America to be killed by guns, I am undecided if we should collectively hang our heads in shame or be stricken with bewilderment. Both?

A report being circulated by the aforementioned UNODC, looking at crime levels around the world has singled out the Caribbean and Central America for having ‘near crisis point’ levels of murders. The report mentions that 3/4 of all murders committed within these two regions are inflicted by guns. An increase in firearms usage is seen as the main cause for the increase in the Caribbean’s murder rate.

These statistics by the UNODC on crime levels in the Caribbean did not shock me frankly. I am concerned though, to know what is causing the increase and what are the effects of the rising levels of youth crime on the region. I stated that the statistics did not shock me because there are several Caribbean territories that, for some time now, have been reporting rising levels of crime. Persons cannot now continue to berate Jamaica about its annual murder rate, when other islands, particularly the smaller ones, have been escalating their very own crime numbers. It has become a region wide pandemic that requires creative and definitive measures to nip it in the bud.

To paint a clearer picture, the statistics as released from the UNODC study are as follows:

• 1,428 people were murdered in Jamaica in 2010, with firearms accounting for 52.1%.

• St Kitts and Nevis had a murder rate of 38.2%

• The United States Virgin Islands at 39.1%

• Trinidad and Tobago 35.2%

• Guyana 18.4%

• Barbados11.3%

• Cuba 4.6%

• Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda both at 6.8%

• British Virgin Islands at 8.6%

• Belize 41.7%

But what is the cause of these rising crime levels and why are we seeing crime rates amongst young men specifically, skyrocketing in the region? Some would propose that it is mainly due to an increase in the illicit drugs trade throughout the region that causes gun violence and gang culture to proliferate. I am not certain I am sold on this as the ‘main’ reason. Without a doubt, it is a contributing factor, as the UNODC study concludes, "In Central America and the Caribbean, changes in drug trafficking markets have, in one way or another, contributed to rising levels of homicide.”

Acts of crime in their various manifestations are in effect social ills. There are several possible occurrences that can be attributed as very plausible conditions for this upsurge in crime in the Caribbean. I am considering several areas: are we seeing a direct rise in the social ills of the Caribbean and a resultant inflation of our crime numbers, based on increased poverty in the affected islands? The global economic crisis will most surely be harshly felt in developing nations with limited resources, such as the Caribbean islands. Another point that comes to mind is: are we standing as spectators to the crumbling of our communities and value structures, why the youths are carefree in their crime spree? Communities may have become so dismantled that respect is alien, materialism is king and the Church is a chore attended only to appease, but less so for moral and ethical grounding?

And lastly; has the political directorate in some of these islands failed the youths in providing adequate avenues for them to express themselves creatively, academically and socially. When our young children leave school in the islands, for those that cannot go to University or relocate abroad to the Diaspora, what are the avenues that present themselves that they feel they too can be empowered to earn a decent living and improve their quality of life? These are serious questions that require individual probing as real contributing factors that may be pushing our young men towards gangs, drugs and murder.

Just last month Sam Condor, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of St Kitts/Nevis, addressed the United Nations. What I noted most from Condor’s presentation was his position that the surge in violence in the Caribbean was also symptomatic of deeper community and social issues in the countries of the region. That statement from Condor spoke directly to the root of the problem, which to me shows that he understands that attacking the problem from its incubation stages is crucial towards making any progress towards curbing the worrying upward trend in youth crime and murder.

There are though, positive developments now taking place to re-dress this rise in murder and youth crime in the Caribbean. The CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have organized a series of sub-regional consultations called Youth Gangs and Violence: partnering for prevention and social development. These consultations will be looking to discuss anti-gang programmes and services as part of a wider action plan. This first aspect of the action plan will look to provide support services, from the community level, to reduce involvement in gang life and to equip ‘gang leavers’ with life skills to help them reintegrate into normal society.

Reclaiming the high ground would be paramount for many of these island that have seen an escalation in murder and crime. In our developing states, criminals cannot be seen to run riot and to be inducing fear in communities. Such scenarios would stand contrary to what a progressive nation should be seeking to encourage.

Photo Credit To Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Jeevan Robinson is Editor-in-Chief of MNI Alive. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.