This letter rebuts recent public comments (especially by PM in waiting Stuart Young [Daily Express 12/04/25]) suggesting that the solution to Trinidad and Tobago’s violent crime crisis may lie in expanding access to firearms for law-abiding citizens and in the creation of elite police squads. While these proposals may sound appealing to a fearful public, the evidence—both local and international—overwhelmingly shows that such approaches are ineffective and potentially dangerous. What is urgently needed is not more guns, but more justice.
Guns do not solve crime—they escalate it.
The United States offers a cautionary tale. It leads the developed world in both gun ownership and gun-related homicides. The 2023 Small Arms Survey estimates over 393 million civilian-held firearms in the US—more than one gun per person. Yet, rather than feeling safer, Americans face a gun death rate 25 times higher than other high-income countries (Everytown for Gun Safety, 2023). Rather than acting as a deterrent, widespread gun availability often escalates conflict and leads to tragic outcomes—whether in domestic disputes, community altercations, or mistaken identity.
Arming the public not only increases the number of firearms in circulation but also increases the chances of those firearms ending up in the wrong hands—through theft, trafficking, or loss. It is no coincidence that studies show more guns equals more gun crime. Trinidad and Tobago’s focus should not be to emulate failed models, but to learn from them.
The real crisis is not lack of firepower, but lack of justice.
Trinidad and Tobago suffers from a chronic collapse in law enforcement effectiveness. According to recent figures, the detection rate for homicides hovers around 6%. Worse still, the prosecution rate is just 1% of that 6%—an effective prosecution rate of roughly 0.06%. This means that nearly all perpetrators know they are unlikely to face any consequences. No society can claim to be governed by the rule of law when the odds of being caught and punished are that low. The problem is not the absence of weapons in citizens’ hands—it is the near-total absence of consequences for violent crime.
Rather than introducing more firearms into an already volatile environment, the Government should prioritise:
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Judicial reform to ensure speedier and more efficient prosecutions;
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Investment in forensic and investigative capacity so that evidence gathered is robust and admissible;
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Training and oversight of the police to improve professionalism, reduce corruption, and increase detection rates;
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Public trust and community policing, which are the true foundation of sustainable security.
Elite squads and undercover units may have a place in specific tactical operations, but they cannot replace a police force that the population trusts and a judiciary that delivers timely justice. Additionally, the proposal for legal immunity for undercover officers involved in criminal acts raises grave constitutional and human rights concerns and must be subject to robust legal safeguards—not political promises.
Conclusion: A nation armed is not a nation safe.
If Trinidad and Tobago truly wishes to combat violent crime, it must resist the false comfort of arming its populace. Guns are not justice. Swift detection, credible evidence, and timely, transparent trials are the only sustainable deterrents to violent crime. Without these, even the best-equipped elite squads will be chasing shadows while the streets remain unsafe.
