By Sue-Ann Wayow
FOR the year 2022, 605 people were murdered.
The figure was revealed by Senior Superintendent Rishi Singh of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
Additionally, 18 people have already been murdered for 2023 with gang-related homicides being the main cause of the murders both last year and so far for this year.
Singh was speaking at a police media briefing at the TTPS headquarters on Thursday.
He said, “Already we see, that what passes for gang activity remains the number one reason behind our high murder rate.”
Out of the 605 murders committed, police solved 75 committed in 2022 with 89 persons being charged.
And additional 25 murders were also solved. Altogether, 129 persons have been charged for murders, eh said.
Dissecting the 605 killings, Singh disclosed that 245 were gang-related, 95 were drug-related, 79 were revenge killings, 52 consisted of robberies, 51 were altercations, 47 had unknown causes, domestic (no-intimate) were 13, domestic (intimate) were 12, eight were relationship-motivated and there was one instance of a murder resulting from rape.
There was also one person killed in the line of duty and one murder as a result of mistaken identity.
Revealing information from the 18 murders that occurred by Thursday, Singh said 12 were gang-related, five were unknown and one was a result of an altercation.
The Senior Superintendent appealed to members of the public to inform police about illegal items such as drugs, firearms and false number plates for cars.
“We need citizens to be our eyes and ears, to assist us,” Singh said.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made a similar appeal on Monday.
Also speaking at the police briefing were Sen Supt Claire Guy-Alleyne of the Special Victims Dept and police information officer Insp Michelle Lewis.
Guy-Alleyne strongly advised, “Your spouse, your boyfriends, your girlfriends, family members even and friends as well, if that person has a violent character or associates with persons who are involved with criminal activity, do not have your children around them.”
