Narco Violence Tears Up The Caribbean

Inside.....

This widely circulated report is going to make the going even harder for an increasinlgy marginalised part of the world.

http://www.mapinc.org/newscc/v07/n556/a02.html?397-(<i>from the Wall Street Journal</i>)

Caribbean: Cost of Caribbean Crime Grows
Drug Trafficking Exacts Social, Economic Toll, World Bank Reports
By JOEL MILLMAN
May 4, 2007; Page A9

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Economists investigating the impact of crime in the developing world are yielding some harsh findings. The social and economic costs are growing and are compounded with each generation, feeding further cycles of violence. And America's closest neighbors have it worst, the World Bank says.

A report to be released by the bank today says Jamaica is emerging as the murder capital of the Americas, while the Caribbean region now ranks as the world's most crime-ridden area, excluding places torn by civil war.

Hijacking, burglary, kidnapping and rape are also on the rise, as a result of the region's role in the global drug trade. According to a voluntary survey cited in the report, 48% of Caribbean adolescent girls surveyed described their own "sexual initiation" as forced.

The economic consequences of the crime surge have been dire for Caribbean nations, which depend on their images as tropical paradises to attract tourists. Jamaica's tourism minister recently warned that the crime level threatens to derail the industry.

Crime has other costs, too. In Jamaica, security costs, totaling as much as 3.7% of annual gross domestic product, are deterring investment. Four of 10 Jamaican business managers say crime prevents their investing as much as they otherwise would. United Nations data released yesterday show direct foreign investment dropping as much as 9% in the islands last year, to $621 million from $682 million in Jamaica, and to $883 million from $940 million in Trinidad and Tobago.

Fear of crime is also driving educated Caribbean natives to leave their home countries. The seven countries with the highest emigration rates for college graduates are in the Caribbean, the bank estimates, with Guyana the world's leader at 89%.

Some graduates do return, and adapt. Before Joanna Banks leaves her Pan Caribbean Financial Services office in Kingston, she calls a security company and orders a car to trail her to her gated community in the hills overlooking the financial district. Her armed guards check inside her home and, radioing an "all clear" to their command post, escort her through the front door. "The only worry I have is on the way to meet the guards' car," says the 22-year-old securities analyst, a University of Pennsylvania graduate. "The new trick is someone slashes your tires while you're at work. Then they pounce when you stop to change them."

The World Bank lays blame for the rise in crime on rampant narcotics trafficking through sea lanes connecting the U.S. to Latin America. An influx of firearms is adding to the problem. "Wedged between the world's source of cocaine to the south and its primary consumer market to the north, the Caribbean is the transit point for a torrent of narcotics, with a street value that exceeds the value of the entire legal economy," the study concludes.

At 30 murders a year per 100,000 residents, the Caribbean tops the murder rate in Colombia and South Africa, which had the highest rates of homicide during the 1980s and 1990s. Jamaica and Haiti lead the region, with more than 33 murders per 100,000 citizens annually, but other places are quickly deteriorating. Trinidad and Tobago doubled its rate of murder in three years to 7.5 murders per 100,000 residents in 2005. The murder rate in the U.S. was 5.9 per 100,000 in 2004.

According to researchers, about 10 tons of cocaine transited Jamaica in 2005, the most recent year for which data are available. At least twice that volume passed through Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Local law enforcement has been overwhelmed, spending scarce resources on patrolling rural areas and coastlines for traffickers. Narcotics wealth, the report says, is "undermining and corrupting societal institutions."

The growing lawlessness is frightening many Jamaican expatriates from returning home to work or retire. Some 40,000 Jamaicans returned from Great Britain in the 1990s, but that reverse migration has almost stopped, with many retirees choosing to settle in the U.S. if they can obtain visas. "Fort Lauderdale, Miami and places like that have captured a lot of our people who would have settled here," says Percival La Touche, president of the Association for the Resettlement of Returning Residents in Kingston.

Many, he says, become demoralized not only by the poverty they encounter, but also by the inability of law-enforcement agencies to protect elderly Jamaicans.

Perhaps the probolem isn't the report but the crime itself ?

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>while the Caribbean region now ranks as the world's most crime-ridden area, excluding places torn by civil war<hr></blockquote>

I think this broad brush statement is very unfortunate and could lead a lot of persons, particularly those who have never gone to the Caribbean, with an entirely wrong impression. First, much of the crime in the Caribbean takes place in a handful of places such as Kingston, Port of Spain, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and a few others towns/islands (these also happen to be some of the more populated areas in the Caribbean). Even then, much of the crime occurs in certain sections of the city/island. If you were to take out the top few towns/islands, I'm guessing that statistic would be vastly different. Secondly, many of these drug related crimes are away from the areas that most tourists are going to be in.

If you use common sense and avoid a few dicey places (or exercise an extra dose of common sense and caution in them) I don't think most people would find the vast majority of places in the Caribbean any less safe than their home town or home country.

I'm with Bahamagray on this one. There is a tendency in the caribbean to try to brush crime under the table. This tendency is understandable because of the tourist dollars at issue, but also unfortunate. Many travellers -- thinking they are helping to "protect" the image of their favorite place (or thinking the crime wave is not such a big deal, usually because they personally have not been a victim) -- are complicit in this. But, as (former US Supreme Court) Justice Brandeis said, sunshine really is the best disinfectant. It is better -- more honest and more effective -- to acknowledge the very substantial problem and deal openly with it, rather than to minimize it or try to sweep it under the carpet. While its true, as MGT says, that there are a few places with particularly bad crime, the problem is spreading. Places previously thought to be nearly crime-free are experiencing serious crime problems. Look at what is happening in Anguilla or, very recently, in Tortola - places generally regarded as very safe. And St Lucia has had a wave of violent crime. And SXM. And I could go on. If you read the local papers in these places, you get a flavor. In many islands, there's a "code of silence" -- locals know who commit the crimes but won't talk with the police. Those who minimize the crime problems or pretend they don't exist or aren't serious work hand-in-hand with those who perpetuate the code of silence, The result is that crime increases. Open discussion of the crime problems, on the other hand, will exert pressure to solve those problems. So I think the report Copperspoon circulated, while sad, is a good thing.

Hello everyone. while the world bank is correct about crime in the carribbean, the fact of the matter is .. IS the crime directed towards turist? or is it just being in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Lets start off with going back a few years and analyze what or how crime has increased in the carribbean. I think everyone knows the carribbean to be a major drug transit area. This is a fact. This was always the norm, so why does this suddenly become the reason for the crime increase? The answer is , it is not the reason for crime increase its just partially the only explanation anyone can come up with!
I have no proof of what I am about to say but ill leave it the you to make sense of it or not? I speak for Trinidad and Tobago and not the other islands however my explanation may be valid for the other islands ..who knows? A few years back after 911 the last prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago signed a document with President Bush, allowing the USA the deport all people from TnT convicted of certain crimes in the USA, back to TnT! These were not petty criminals but hard core criminals that came into the USA as children and by the time they were teenagers they were seasoned into a life of crime, the only life they knew! Those who fell into the justice system were not rehabilited but just sent back to TnT (some without any familes). This is where globalization took over. TnT being 2nd world country at that time suddenly had thousands of 1st world seasoned criminals that formed gangs with the poverty stricten youths of TnT. The result is what you see in the movies, gang wars fighting for contriol of drug money in their areas of the getto. It is these drug areas or getto areas that we read about in the papers and see in the evening news. All the killings in TnT 99.9% are drug related,and gang related. the point is most of the crime is directed toward criminals themselves. I see in the evening news mothers crying for their sons that may have been killed in a drug shot out or in a shoot out with the police. They say, my son never did anything to anyone but what do you think, I really feel sorry for the mothers but the fact is their sons or husbands are criminals (NOT ALL OF THEM BUT 99%) .
We have to remember that good people also live in these areas and sometiomes bad things happen to good people,ITS just the way of the world, as I said wrong place at the wrong time! now Im not blameing the USA for sending these criminals back to TnT , I do blame the ex prime minister for signing such a horriffic document. What i say now may sound mean but i dont care, The good news is the majority of these deported criminals who lead the gangs are wiping themselves out everyday. The bad news is They trained the local criminals pretty good , we here in TnT are not totally out of the frying pan yet but the goverment is trying there best to set up programs to keep the youths off the streets and out of gangs by the introductions of programs so that they may ahve a skill that can support themselves and keep out of the life of crime.
There are much better police enforcement and The good old USA did send the FBI to help us out .

As for the kidnappings I also have an explanation that is not mine but its the word that is silently talked around. A few years back the local drug lord ( ) was convicted of a crime and hanged . This drug lord was supposedly a kind and generous money launderer. He LENT millions of dollars to everyone that asked and he kepted RECORDS of coarse!! This drug lord was responsable for hundreds of local bussinessmen and bussinesswomen to have VERY VERY successful bussinesses. When this drug lord was hanged, all of his assests were seized by the goverment and his family was left to suffer. Now you guys and gals figure out what happened next??

Of coarse there have been petty kidnappings and phoney kiddnappings by family members trying to extort money from there rich daddy'S and dont forget the jealous boyfriend and husband, crimes of passion, we do have allot of those here in TnT. Listen you good folks we are just like the rest of the world the only differance is that we are in paradise. Thats the reality of the situation.

What Ive said here is the total truth to the best that I know of and I leave by saying I believe crime here in TnT is definately not directed towards turist, while very few turist may fall victims to crimes, I believe its just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As everyone repeatedly says in this forum exercise careful judgement where ever you go in this world and most of the time youll be just fine. Take care and may everyone contine to have safe and fun fun fun in the sun here in the sunshine capital of the world The Beautiful Carribbean, take care, bye bye.

Tishey-I spent the best part of a month in T&T and saw all facets of the problem there.

Many local people were kind and friendly-some very surly locals as per most of the Caribbean islands, some extremely surly incompetent police and a lot of excuse making all 'round.

"<blockquote>Quote
<hr>There is a tendency in the caribbean to try to brush crime under the table<hr></blockquote>
Quite true-all a person has to do is read the online papers and then speak to people affected by the same incidents-two very different stories emerge.

about 3 years aback if you read some of the post that i put up in the lp. You wouldnt believe that its the same person defending TnT today. I thought it was africans picking on indians. i was already to pack and go back to the states. Im not afraid anymore since im aware or mostly important believe what the problem is. the truth is copperspoon , I run my bussiness and i take extream caution not to go anywhere that is risky. eg late night clubbing is a thing of the past. Going out at night alone-definately not. When turist come to my resort I never stop telllling them to be careful and trust no one. From what i see turist are the bravest people on the island itself. Especially single male turist, i means theses guys go out late at night with anyone to anywhere they feel. sometimes I stay up all night worrying about my guest when i dont see them come in by 8 or 9 pm. Thank The Lord that Ive never had anything happen to any of my guest. The main thing is knowing and as long as people know , thats half the battle . Being aware of what the problem is and being in control of a situation. i remember 3 years ago I was so paranoid that i kept my 4 kids at home for 7 months without taking them to school. Can you imagine how i felt. i hated this island so much. now hate has turned back to love but that dosnt mean that im not scared a little , I take no chances i leave no room for mistakes, Its the world we live in today,thats the reality of the situation world wide, thats what made me decide to stay in TnT and fight for my TnT and love my TnT. yes we have currupted cops , tons of them so much you wouldnt believe. so what I do is just dont depend on them. because they are so curupt and undependable. Its like they were trained to be curupt, but the reality is there are some good police officers that really try to make a differance. so we must have faith ,those of us who decided not to flee the island must have faith its the only thing thats keeps us sain and most importantly it keeps us building our dream and not giving up on life. if we give up the criminals win and then everybody loses. A friend of mine moved back to the states and came back to TnT 7 months later, she told me its not the same as when last I was there . i go up every 6 months for about a week or two and i have not felt what she did but the fact is 7 months is much differant than two weeks . A fews years back i always typed in at the end of a reply on this forum " REMEMBER SAFTEY ALWAYS FIRST" i stopped doing that since im not that paraniod anymore. I guess i should start typing it again? As I said better to be aware that to be ignorant. It is a good thing that on this forum that we are making people aware, but there is a limit to exageration And i still stand by my words when I say we here in TnT welcome turist , I personally make it my duty since it is my bussiness to take care of all my guest as if they are family and to make sure TnT dosnt get a bad rapp. take care everyone bye bye.

I live in Florida which is the #1 tourist place in the world and Orlando the home of Disney happens to be one of the top states in the US with the most crime. I have been here for five years and the crime is just as bad as when I lived in New York. There's crime everywhere. It's usually a couple of towns that ruin the name for the whole place. The point is that every place has good and bad parts. In the Carribean it seems more obvious at times because most of these islands are not very big.

I just knew some how and in someway, someone would post that this is the fault of GW, or the US!

copperspoon should be ignored. a very bitter troublemaker. always negative. always disagreeable. to all the new people on this site...
ignore this crap. it's hateful and mostly and vastly untrue. the less responce to this junk, the better. don't waste your time.

Hmmm

One person posts an article and another posts a personal attack.

Whom am I likely to consider negative and disagreeable?

I know jamdownron is right on the money, wish he was here sooner, but as the saying goes better late than never.

In all the islands Ive been to Ive always seen many church ministries of all denominations. I have spoken with many of them in the last week. i asked them what they thought of Trinidad and the other islands they lived in. their answers were just what I wanted to here but more important their answers are the truth. If people want the truth the most trustworthy people to get it from would be from the ministries that actually live on these islands for years at a time. take care everyone bye bye.

"......ignore this crap. it's hateful and mostly and vastly untrue. the less responce to this junk, the better. don't waste your time.

"There is a tendency in the caribbean to try to brush crime under the table. This tendency is understandable because of the tourist dollars at issue, but also unfortunate. Many travellers -- thinking they are helping to "protect" the image of their favorite place (or thinking the crime wave is not such a big deal, usually because they personally have not been a victim) -- are complicit in this...."

Hmmm....

Ok back up to number 3 and dont forget number 12

I tried to reveal as much of , if not all the truth but the effort was frutile( at least to copperspoon) if not for number 3 and 12.

wasnt he that guy who sang DREADLOCK HOLIDAY? Just kidding . bye bye everyone.