BY R.D. Miller

Ricochet: 

Many parts of the Caribbean landscape continue to erode from violence and economic uncertainty and it is giving locals, visitors, and expatriates heightened concern and a reason to pause.  

Ongoing reported crime against humanity does not discriminate– against whether members of the clergy, women, children, counselors, law enforcement officers, teachers, sports icons, business people, students, elders, or an average faithful worker and anyone else in its path.

Few will admit, crime and violence cost these shores billions in investments, and other tourists dollars according to experts where tourism is the major economic engine that accounted for upwards of 40 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 

Being a victim of violence, whether connected by heritage, culture, family, a friend, or love can cause a long-term psychological effect regardless of location, race, sex, or economic status.

For some leaders, especially those who govern based on popularity, it continues to be a delicate balance regardless of what party is in power; whether managing high inflation, community political alliance, crime, community safety, or basic social services.

The Caribbean islands, specifically, the dominant ones and a few Latin countries cannot argue the uptick in crime and economic decay alone is an erosion of democracy or an inflow of migrants, cultural transformations, or weapons as reported.

The fact is, many who arrived on these other shores, fled or migrated from similar violent and economic issues for a more effective way of life, and are forever bound to the slave ship that once anchored nearby.

The evidence is no longer filed in the backroom closed files.

For decades, the death toll on some of these Caribbean islands consistently surpasses the calendar days and is extremely high compared to the population.

It seems impoverished neighborhoods are being hit with both criminal and political blows like an ocean without a levee to sustain overflow. Many treasured intimate community associations have eroded, retired plans uprooted, or more isolated, even scattered for safety reasons.

Fortunately, social media today is capturing their loss of trust and confidence in their leaders, frustration, and erosion of neighborhoods; includingfatalities in real-time. The surviving victims are also turning over their stories to provide an alternative picture of reality cutting through inconsistency, divergence, or minimization.

The numbers and community wellbeing 

Though crime is ubiquitous; decoupling the data is horrifying. Crime rates in most of these English-speaking Caribbean countries are at or above 30 per 100,000 people. These rates are six times US levels and 15-30 times those of most European countries according to experts.

The death rate is also trending up and could reach over 39.1, death per 100,000 people based on several crime analysis reports in these high crime areas.

In 2020, alone, the insight on crime homicide rate per noted countries like Venezuela, 45.6 Honduras, 37.6 and Mexico 27, Columbia and Belize 24.3, Brazil 19.3 and El Salvador 19.7. 

Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama; averages between 14.6 homicide rate (per 100,000)

In 2019 Trinidad and Tobago recorded 539 murders–the second-highest in Trinidad’s history for one year.

From January 2021 through November 2021, Jamaica alone reported about 1300 murders.
These numbers are horrific and no civilized nation should appreciate the region as the highest murder rate per 100, 000 inhabitants.

When history collides with today’s accountability and authority.

Is vigilante justice the solution to bring back a sense of safety even if innocent people are killed?

This ongoing clash between law enforcement, legislators, and civilians in many parts of the region, dates to the colonial period, where alliances often mean more than policies, and power is more of balancing between image and reality.

Many locals contend their anger is not an enemy to the suggested crime-fighting strategy. Some even debate reintroducing hanging as punishment whereas human rights groups argued against it.

Implementing an analogous approach over and over and expecting a remarkable result will continue to fail. It is like many poverty-stricken people playing the lottery as the sole hope out of poverty.

Peeling back this onion for a decent economic meal

Inequality has been on the rise, according to professionals. It has caused more difficulty in balancing personal autonomy at any cost, and getting to the root of the problem is more critical.

The ever-widening gap between the have’s vs the have-nots; many reports have shown made it difficult to address the well-being of individuals, elderly, or families to have adequate care and support in areas such as counseling, fighting discrimination, job training, or limited financial support to create stability or upward mobility.

The downtrodden struggle to remain afloat with each passing day from the relentless rough tides. 

With each new leadership, it seems; they gain more authority from the chaos and mayhem dividing people along party lines and social class woven in decades of stratification.

Many people are losing trust in some of these banking and educational systems.  Silently both scholars and locals are examining what if the British Pound, Eurodollars until now, remain the official currency in a few of these troubling islands; what these nation’s academic system, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the crime rate would show today?

Numerous youths are graduating from colleges and universities with high student loans. Others leaving school undereducated or dropping out without hope only create an uptick in violence and reduced upward mobility that causes more safety concerns.

What makes joining a gang more alluring for many youths or total disregard for the rule of law?

The complexity between personal freedom, safety, innovative and reactivated crime-fighting strategies, or an economic platform to move these nations forward, seems to be woven in an image where the blame game outlasts strategies.

Conspicuous fight for safety and economic equilibrium

For decades, many elections were won or lost in these communities only by faulting the prior administration. Though the transition of power has been peaceful, it is like a contact sport with ongoing trades.

After the final political whistle is blown; before the next season begins, the unsuccessful players appear to be sidelined, but often still in the game.

Many of these socially wounded leaders re-surfaced under a sundry of titles and from networks of the well-connected.

Even in reported unsatisfactory achievement, corruption, and insignificant management, and calls to change course; one argues; “you are more likely to be penalized for dissenting views.”

Turf battles surrounding consequential socio-economic issues, many frustrated locals argue they are being punted or diverted down the road for the next generation.”

Frequently, the ones who come out ahead are legislators’ personal financial growth. It seems criminals use the same tactics to their influence.

The policymaking of next?

Socio-economic policies should be about success and growth for all. Collaboration is key to advancing from bureaucratic and dysfunctional power conflicts across political positions.

Everyone must be at the table; social workers, school teachers, youth leaders, civic leaders, public safety officials, offenders, counselors dealing with these issues like a surgeon planning for a necessary surgery with other professionals inside the operations room.

Rebuilding the middle class from addressing affordable healthcare; job protection, to a medical bill of rights.

Additionally, investment in the academic system, victims’ safety, rehabilitation; more local manufacturing to generate better-paying jobs and safeguard the environment is extremely important to move a nation forward.

Let your voice be heard for a better tomorrow.

If there were a term limit on power in the region, it would produce fresh ideas and ongoing success for the later generation.

For a drug addict and rehabilitation to be successful, one must admit that there is a problem. 

Though there are reports of some growth in key areas, it must benefit all and not only the wealthy who often control the narrative.

Upward mobility starts with “The Man in the Mirror”, a song by the late pop star Michael Jackson. 

AUTHOR:

R.D. Miller has been a member of the criminal justice field for over 15 years. He holds an MBA and a M.S. in criminal justice and leadership.