Crime

Crime can be defined as an act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it and for which punishment is imposed upon conviction. It is a phenomenon that exists within both rural and urban centers around the world, in some instances more frequently than others. According to Glaeser (1996) crime rates are much higher in big cities than in either small cities or rural areas and have been relatively pervasive for several centuries.

Why do people commit crime?

It is of the Marxist view that crimes are committed due to social class differences. Working class crime is the type of crime which is more common in the city of Port of Spain. The main reason for working class people attempt to commit crime is because they are not able to afford necessities or luxuries that they would like to have. Criminals then resort to violent crimes such as robbery and murder in an attempt to obtain money and material objects. To some it’s their way of livelihood and they chose the city to be its source of victims.

In Trinidad and Tobago within recent times there has been a spike in the amount of crime that takes place in the country. It is a problem that the state has been deal with since the drastic change. From the year 2000 crime had begun to increase and has continued in that trend until it peaked in 2008 with 550 murders, after which it showed a decline to date. The table in the link below can further enlighten you about crime statistic on the island.

http://www.ttcrime.com/stats.php

A lot of the criminal activity recorded above occurs in the city of Port of Spain and its environs. East Port of Spain is stigmatized by the occurrence of high crime rates. Murders, robberies, and gang activity is heavily associated with East Port of Spain namely streets such as Duncan Street, Picadilly Street, Besson Street. The newspaper article below highlights two of many crime incidents that have made headline on news. Click on the links to have a read.

https://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-08-15/five-killed-east-port-spain-gangs-warpath

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/90-arrested-in-East-Port-of-Spain-raid-220137741.html

The photo above display what is known as Besson Street police stations. It is one of the most overwhelmed police stations in the city of Port of Spain and the country at large. Besson Street police station has the task of dealing with some of the most heinous crimes within Port of Spain and its environs.




A jail in the middle of the city? Oh yes it is! It was built in 1812 and is commonly called the Royal Jail; shown in the photo above. It is located on the corner of Frederick Street and New Street in the city of Port of Spain. As a result of crime being conducted within the city and environs this a jail was built to keep criminals of the street. To date we see that the Royal Jail is still functional fulfilling its purpose. The high walls, security cameras and ‘lock down’ design of the area indicates to passers-by that it a jail and its purpose is detention. The Royal Jail is responsible for executing death penalties, the gallows platform is visible from the outside of the prison walls.

Reference

Achong , Derek. 2013. "Five Killed in East Port of Spain: Gangs on Warpath." The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. https://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-08-15/five-killed-east-port-spain-gangs-warpath (accessed March 7, 2014)

Glaeser, Edward L. and Bruce Sacerdote. 1999.  "Why Is There More Crime In Cities?."Journal of Political Economy 107, no. S6: S225-S258.

Gonzales , Gyasi. 2013. Trinidad Express Newspaper. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/90-arrested-in-East-Port-of-Spain-raid-220137741.html (accessed March 7, 2014).

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett.1998. Urban geography. London: Routledge.

"TT Crime - Crime Statistics Trinidad - Tobago." TT Crime - Crime Statistics Trinidad - Tobago. http://www.ttcrime.com/stats.php (accessed March 7, 2014).