Ethnicity and crime victimisation in Trinidad and Tobago

The Impact of Social Support and Occupational Stress on Burnout in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

“…This may have to do with the very hierarchical and top-down type of administrative structures which are utilized in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (Mastrofski & Lum, 2008). Despite the transition from a 'police force' to a 'police service' Trinidad and Tobago has not transitioned to a more flattened administrative structure, and, as such, the police service continues to operate like a militaristic organization with a very rigid top-down chain of command (Seepersad & Williams, 2016). This suggests that co-workers continue to have little say in how the police organization is run and much of what happens at the organizational level continues to depend on the supervisor and senior administrative staff.…”

“…The Caribbean, with over 20 homicides per 1,00,000 population in 2012, had a homicide rate that was three times higher than the global average (6.2 per 1,00,000; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013). Furthermore, the average homicide rate in the Caribbean increased by 197% within a ten-year period (e.g., 14.3 per 1,00,000 in 2000 vs. 28.1 per 1,00,000 in 2010; Seepersad & Bissessar, 2013). Gang involvement and weapons-related violence served to increase homicide rates in this region.…”

“…Police officers in Caribbean countries typically suffer from excessively high stress levels because of high crime rates, excessive administrative duties, and lack of resources (Superville, 2018). Issues in the Caribbean such as gang violence, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and a homicide rate that is three times higher than the global average may also contribute to officers' stress (Seepersad & Bissessar, 2013). In addition to high rates of crime in Caribbean nations, excessive administrative duties, frequent changes in policies coupled with the unclear nature of policy, staff shortages, and increased demands for safety from the public could have an impact on stress levels among officers (Noblet et al, 2009;Shane, 2013;United Nations Development Program [UNDP], 2012).…”

Crime and Violence in Trinidad and Tobago: IDB Series on Crime and Violence in the Caribbean

“…Prior to 2005, the TTPS did not record data on the possession of drug apparatus. A study by Seepersad (2013), using a sample of imprisoned adults, indicated that there was a strong linkage between drug use and criminal offenses. 54 More specifically, 30.7 per cent of the sample (30.1 per cent of males and 40 per cent of females, and 46.1 per cent of convicted persons and 13.1 per cent of remanded persons) indicated that the crime that they committed was linked to drug use.…”

“…This implies that successful drug treatment within prisons should lead to a reduction in recidivism rates, and ultimately a reduction in crime rates in the wider society. Many inmates interviewed by Seepersad (2013) indicated that they would willingly undergo drug treatment if it were made available to them. Indeed, many persons recognized that drug usage was related to their crime, and that such usage had ruined their family relationships and personal lives.…”