Head of UWI’s Department of Political Science, Dr Indira Rampersad. PICTURE ANISTO ALVES
Political scientist laments gang culture, Gen Z behaviour in T&T
With escalating gang violence and a Gen Z population seeking quick and easy cash, political scientist Dr Indira Rampersad says there is a critical need for criminal justice reform in T&T.
Addressing the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Crime Symposium, titled Simulating Solutions: Combating Crime and Criminality in Trinidad and Tobago, Rampersad yesterday said Government must bring robust legislation. She also said while there is legislation to help fight crime, there is inadequate enforcement.
With joblessness and job satisfaction concerns, Rampersad revealed issues in the tertiary education system which lead to some of the issues.
Rampersad said the Gen Z culture produces entitled, uncaring and selfish behaviours. She said even at UWI, some students are not reading or watching television and are unaware of current affairs or what to do for exams.
Instead, she claimed they spent most of their time on their phones, some even engaging in pornography.
Rampersad, head of UWI’s Department of Political Science, co-authored the No Time to Quit: Engaging Youth at Risk Executive Report of the Committee on Young Males and Crime in T&T in 2014.
While the report reached Parliament, she said issues raised in the report are escalating while the solutions remain the same.
She claimed several global agencies identified T&T as having the sixth-worst crime rate, surpassing Jamaica, which was badly affected by crime. Rampersad said T&T could learn from Jamaica, where the government took a robust approach to alleviate crime as it was a tourist economy.
She quoted statistics from the TTPS for this country which showed there were 30,640 crimes between 2015 to 2022, buoyed by murder tolls of 605 in 2022 and 555 in 2023.
Noting that Prof Selwyn Ryan’s report showed that cocaine did not originate in the Caribbean, as it does not have the climate to grow coca plants, she recalled that Southern Division police found $186 million in cocaine in Cedros a few weeks ago. Rampersad said authorities usually find shipments in homes, shipping containers and on shores.
“The drug business is big money. We must understand the lure. Drug money has an estimated value of US$650 billion, 30 per cent of the overall global illicit economy. It also links to other crimes such as money laundering and terror financing,” Rampersad said.
She noted Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s concern that citizens were turning a blind eye to crime, as some are too fearful to report them to authorities.
She said some criminals receive bail and return to society to kill witnesses, while youths are now forming gangs and engaging in mass murders to protect their turfs. Rampersad explained that many gang members grew up in homes without positive male role models and even wished to harm their fathers for pauperising their families.
She explained that this wave of gangsterism has links to violence, sex crimes, domestic violence, and maltreatment of children by parents. She said citizens suffer from drug addiction, drug-related violence, and corruption in law enforcement and public officials.
While transnational organised crime groups dominate this illicit industry, she said vulnerable youths execute the operations.
Noting that Ryan interviewed gang members, including some in prison, Rampersad said, “One complained that these days, your father is your mother’s latest boyfriend and usually, your mother is switching boyfriends every other month. Some young people even want to kill or maim their fathers for leaving them to provide for themselves, their siblings and mama. They often have to witness their mothers or sisters having serial sexual relationships in order to earn a living and survive.
It is well-known that mothers farm out their daughters to men, who provide money in return.
Sex is a valuable commodity or currency.”
Rampersad said smaller bandit gangs are developing to commit robberies and murders, targeting businessmen, older citizens, and vehicle owners.
Responding to Rowley’s comment that there was also State contribution to crime, Rampersad said there are also reports of criminals dressed as police officers, while some officers also engage in crime. She said some crime issues are linked to the education system, noting escalating school violence in Trinidad and its appearance in Tobago.
Addressing the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Crime Symposium, titled Simulating Solutions: Combating Crime and Criminality in Trinidad and Tobago, Rampersad yesterday said Government must bring robust legislation. She also said while there is legislation to help fight crime, there is inadequate enforcement.
With joblessness and job satisfaction concerns, Rampersad revealed issues in the tertiary education system which lead to some of the issues.
Rampersad said the Gen Z culture produces entitled, uncaring and selfish behaviours. She said even at UWI, some students are not reading or watching television and are unaware of current affairs or what to do for exams.
Instead, she claimed they spent most of their time on their phones, some even engaging in pornography.
Rampersad, head of UWI’s Department of Political Science, co-authored the No Time to Quit: Engaging Youth at Risk Executive Report of the Committee on Young Males and Crime in T&T in 2014.
While the report reached Parliament, she said issues raised in the report are escalating while the solutions remain the same.
She claimed several global agencies identified T&T as having the sixth-worst crime rate, surpassing Jamaica, which was badly affected by crime. Rampersad said T&T could learn from Jamaica, where the government took a robust approach to alleviate crime as it was a tourist economy.
She quoted statistics from the TTPS for this country which showed there were 30,640 crimes between 2015 to 2022, buoyed by murder tolls of 605 in 2022 and 555 in 2023.
Noting that Prof Selwyn Ryan’s report showed that cocaine did not originate in the Caribbean, as it does not have the climate to grow coca plants, she recalled that Southern Division police found $186 million in cocaine in Cedros a few weeks ago. Rampersad said authorities usually find shipments in homes, shipping containers and on shores.
“The drug business is big money. We must understand the lure. Drug money has an estimated value of US$650 billion, 30 per cent of the overall global illicit economy. It also links to other crimes such as money laundering and terror financing,” Rampersad said.
She noted Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s concern that citizens were turning a blind eye to crime, as some are too fearful to report them to authorities.
She said some criminals receive bail and return to society to kill witnesses, while youths are now forming gangs and engaging in mass murders to protect their turfs. Rampersad explained that many gang members grew up in homes without positive male role models and even wished to harm their fathers for pauperising their families.
She explained that this wave of gangsterism has links to violence, sex crimes, domestic violence, and maltreatment of children by parents. She said citizens suffer from drug addiction, drug-related violence, and corruption in law enforcement and public officials.
While transnational organised crime groups dominate this illicit industry, she said vulnerable youths execute the operations.
Noting that Ryan interviewed gang members, including some in prison, Rampersad said, “One complained that these days, your father is your mother’s latest boyfriend and usually, your mother is switching boyfriends every other month. Some young people even want to kill or maim their fathers for leaving them to provide for themselves, their siblings and mama. They often have to witness their mothers or sisters having serial sexual relationships in order to earn a living and survive.
It is well-known that mothers farm out their daughters to men, who provide money in return.
Sex is a valuable commodity or currency.”
Rampersad said smaller bandit gangs are developing to commit robberies and murders, targeting businessmen, older citizens, and vehicle owners.
Responding to Rowley’s comment that there was also State contribution to crime, Rampersad said there are also reports of criminals dressed as police officers, while some officers also engage in crime. She said some crime issues are linked to the education system, noting escalating school violence in Trinidad and its appearance in Tobago.