Reflections on the Trinidad & Tobago Civil Society Crime Summit: Paving the Way for Change in 2024

As I sit here, I ponder upon the month of January in the year 2024. On the first of January, New Year's Day, my mentor (who is also a great friend) and I launched a national campaign titled: "Land of &." It is to represent the "&" in Trinidad & Tobago, showing inclusivity. For too long, our nation has been separated into groups. However, our coat of arms says: "Together we aspire, together we achieve." Our national anthem also states: "Where every creed and race finds an equal place." Our concept is to show that you can achieve anything; you can be a professional & a mother, we can have safety & security, you can be a student & employed, etc.

Interestingly enough, on the 31st of January, I was invited to a civil society crime consultation. Completely confidently with the national campaign, it was the 1st & last day of January I am speaking about today.

The consultation was held by The People's Roundtable: Power Growing From The Grassroots. They share a commitment to "the public interest, the common good, and a better life for all" right here in Trinidad and Tobago. At the Civil Society Crime Summit, the day's proceedings followed the design of presenters in the 1st half, then workshops in the 2nd half.

The first half of this summit was moderated by Mr. David Abdulah. He introduced the presenters with very short bios and the format for the day. Mr. Abdulah went on to discuss the purpose of the People's Roundtable, which is a chance to advise and drive solutions to issues facing the public, such as crime, water for all, education, traffic congestion, effective public transportation, etc. He iterated there needs to be a change in governance, constitutional reform, further reform at the local government level, change in the general government, the need for party financing legislation, just to name a few. He ended his introduction to the summit by discussing how crime is affecting the youths, business, farmers, and by extension, all citizens.

The first presenter of the day was Professor Rhoda Reddock, the former vice principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine campus. She is also a member of the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Having done extensive research on the socio-economic factors that have historically led to the increase in violence and crime, she highlighted the following key points from the presentation: Large percentages of the national budget are allocated to national security and not to civil societies and community-based organizations. There is a need to analyze proper strategic planning into addressing the root cause of the problems. She proceeded to indicate that her research indicated, over the past 10 years, the majority of murdered victims and those who committed the murders were predominantly African males between the ages of 16 to 35 (youths). By referencing the UN reports from 2023 for the Caribbean and Latin America, it indicates most murders are gang-related. It also shows that while the global trend indicates a decrease in the homicide rate, the Caribbean and Latin American rates are increasing. Dr. Reddock went on to indicate we are experiencing a social crisis. In Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension, the Caribbean does not have society and development policies that address modern concerns. She referenced the Washington consensus document with specific pointing on the need to privatize some state enterprises to manage better while providing welfare, pension plans, and other ways to bring equity to the socio-economic imbalance existing. Another solution was to open trade markets and the local market to facilitate market expansion. Furthermore, drawing reference to the global report issued by the UNODC - the main cause for crime is low income and social inequality. She further investigated the Precariat, the name given to activists by violence, showing how organizations like ISIS and gangs are responsible for providing a means to an end for those displaced. Stating that these gangs provide what the government does not for the citizens. On a closing note, she suggested implementation for alcohol and substance abuse programs to help deal with the mental health of persons, corporal punishment, and engaging community influencers to differ from crime. Providing grants to those marginalized persons.

In my personal opinion, this presenter was a bit boring, as all the information she spoke was on slides. She basically read off the slide and had little engagement with the audience. She needs to remember the 3x5 rule for presentations: no more than 3 lines with 5 words per line. While there were aspects where she explained a bit further on points, the slides packed with information took away from what she was saying.

The 2nd presenter was Mr. Isa Mohammed, the chair of the recently formed movement Project 600. He began by stating up until the 17th of January 2024, there were 30 murders; however, on the 31st, the number was 38. Questioning the audience as to why this happened rhetorically, he stated one of the largest gang leaders in Trinidad and Tobago was arrested, indicating that he was singly responsible for a majority of the homicides over the past 3 years. Again questioning the audience as to why did it take so long to apprehend this gang leader? Mr. Mohammed stated it was due to the call for accountability by the public. He stated persons in power benefit from the gang's involvement and support, coining the term "crime factories," where the input is people and money (through grants and contracts), giving an output of profit for stakeholders and investors. By using an analogy of 2 political parties in a made-up country named Chaconia, one party sees an increase in crime while the other reduces; however, no major arrests are made because they both benefit from the gangs to rally support for the parties' political gain. The answer to the situation is the public call for an intervention, for the public to hold the leaders accountable for every life lost.

Personal opinion on this presenter was very well articulated; he interacted with the audience and brought forward deep personal questioning. He was funny and serious at the same time, bringing out emotions from the audience.

The 3rd presenter was Mr. Wayne Hayde, a retired police officer from Trinidad and Tobago, former calypsonian, an attorney at law, and retired UN Chief of Conduct. He indicated there is a compromised legal system locally and globally, with judges taking bribes and reducing sentences, delays in trials leaving those who have been apprehended to live off the taxpayers' funds. Having worked in Uganda during and post the recent genocide, he indicated they reduced crime by having a military tribunal, where specific crimes were handled by the military tribunal, reducing the wait time for sentencing.

Personal opinion: Mr. Hayde brought forward tried and proven recommendations; however, as an advocate, I wonder what happens to their human rights under the constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, reiterating the need for constitutional reform.

Speaker no. 4, Ms. Shihan Michelle Solomon-Baksh, the founder of the Ryu Dan Empowerment Foundation founded in 2013, provides programs to support the social, intellectual, and physical development of youths, girls, and women in the Chaguanas community, spoke on youth and youth in crime. She took on the assignment by interacting with persons on the ground, questioning them about crime and illegal activities. She determined that gangs and crime provide an avenue for those ostracized by society because of their geographical location. Hailing from Enterprise, persons were deemed unfit for employment because of the stigma attached to the local "HOT Spot" — keep that term in mind as I'll explain how she redefines it later on. Gangs and crime provide a source of income and a means to an end for the youths. She used the term "The 3 Gs" to describe what these young men gain: Guns, Girls, and Glory. A lack of parental guidance, and inherited crime seems to be the driving force for youth engagement. Because fathers are either locked up or not around, gangs provide that support to the young men and women in the community. Ms. Logan went on to advocate for the need to touch flesh, and superficial ideas are not the solution to reducing the crime rate. She indicated we need to increase the education provided for the youth and, by such, the need to provide something just as or even more glamorous than a life of crime. She also said that by having a space to showcase talent and participate in sports have proven to help persons venture out of the block, which brings me to the redefinition of HOT spot. Shihan redefined the term HOT to be Holistic Original and Talented!!

Personal opinion: She was very emotional about the topic and invoked emotions. The bravery she exhibited in touching flesh to effectively present was motivational. It shows a true advocate for change. It gives me hope as a fellow advocate that there are young persons who know how to be innovative and lead change. Personally, I would love to work together with her and Isa on a couple of projects.

Speaker 5 was Ms. Michelle Solomon-Baksh, an attorney at law, lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School in the Criminal Law specialization, and Deputy director of the police complaints authority. She began by stating there is a need for effective mental health care in Trinidad and Tobago. She also iterated the need for effective forensic science and pathology. In keeping with the theme of the day, she complemented the issues raised before quickly transitioning into several areas that need improvement to allow for a reduction in crime: 1. expedited trials 2. body cams on officers 3. effective CCTV cameras and an independent body to review the footage 4. expansion of the DPP office - short contracts to handle the backlog of cases 5. Special courts to deal with domestic violence, gun, and gang violence 6. plea bargaining and witness protection

Personal opinion: She did not linger long on the problems, as we know the issues. She provided solutions, some of which are already known. I hope this summit will provide a document that the leaders can use to implement change in society and the legal system soon.

Speaker 6, Pastor Clive Dutin of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, has extensive experience working with families and victims of crimes, communities with a high level of crimes, and youth who are at risk of becoming involved in criminal activities. He quickly identified the problems we face, especially the crime factories, then provided an alternative, a Role Model Factory. This would be influential persons and persons who have left criminal activities being mentors for vulnerable and at-risk youths in order to cut ties with gangs from an early age. He advocated for a national adoption agency - in the sense of persons who want to leave the criminal life to meet persons who can help and provide opportunities. He went on to state the government was wrong for decriminalizing marijuana. Went on to make a call to action for musicians to move away from the provocativeness in the current landscape and introduce an education aspect to the public on issues, concerns, and solutions. Finally, stating we need to be efficient and consistent in the initiatives and not just a one-off aspect. He stated we need a spiritual revolt vs. a military approach to fighting crime.

Personal opinion: Well articulated and presented.

The 2nd half of the summit saw me in a group setting where the topic was: Cost of Crime to business with a focus on MSME and Farmers. The first half of this meeting was facilitated by Rudolph Hanamji (my mentor) where issues were identified in the business and farming sectors. The 2nd half I got the opportunity to facilitate the solutions to those identified before, as he had another meeting to present at. The discussion was very enlightening, and I expect the rapporteurs to provide a report of the discussion soon that can be made available to the public.

At the end of January, I am glad to have experienced this, setting the tone for the rest of the year.