The existing research on the crime and murder rate in Trinidad and Tobago all indicate
the same contributory factors, the low detection rate, the proliferation of illegal firearms, the
gang activity in Laventille and environs and the Government funding of gangs through social
programmes for the unemployed. Despite the dismally low detection rate of less than 10%, little
research has been conducted on the murders and murder victims that could provide intelligence
to direct police investigations and prevention measures. Empirical evidence has shown that crime
scene information as well as information on victim/offender interaction can assist the police
force in ongoing investigations and crime prevention (Burgess and Roberts, 2010; Canter, 2000).
To date however the police service does not consistently seek and record these types of
information in any structured way, far less analyse information to identify trends to assist the
police force. This study seeks to address this by using police records to analyse murders
committed during 2008 to 2011 in the capital city of Port of Spain, the area with the highest
concentration of murders in the nation. Analysis was conducted on crime scene information and
murder victim characteristics in three populations (a) the total victim population as well as its
subgroups (b) gang-related victims and (c) non-gang related victims. Demographic, temporal,
geographic and crime scene patterns were identified. The key findings revealed that the typical
profile of a murder in Port of Spain was that of a male victim of African descent, between the
ages of 16 to 35 years, who lived and died in East Dry River or Laventille after being shot by a
perpetrator/s with gang-related motives and remains undetected. This research also indicated that
spatial profiling of gang-related murders in East Dry River or Laventille, combined with records
and analysis of the daily actions and interactions of gang members, could be useful in directing
investigations in gang-related murders. In conclusion, if law enforcement and government
agencies in Trinidad and Tobago want to increase the detection rates, a new standard in
recording and conducting murder investigations should be embraced.