Tobago now has more gangs than several districts in Trinidad, and according to Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, had the island’s security apparatus got the resources and support it needed, the situation would have been vastly different.
Speaking during a Tobago House of Assembly plenary sitting yesterday, Augustine raised alarm over the increasing presence of gangs in Tobago, citing police statistics that show a rise.
He read from a USAID report, presented to him by former US ambassador to T&T Candace Bond last year, which showed that from just three gangs in 2009, the island now has 28—an increase that surpasses even Port-of-Spain, which he said saw a significant drop in gang numbers over the same period.
He said, “When we had 24 gangs on record according to the study, Port-of-Spain had 41, but in 2022, when we had 28, Port-of-Spain was reported as having just 21, meaning that their trajectory is going downwards over the last couple of years.”
Augustine added, “But if you look at North Eastern Tobago for most of the years, we’ve had a higher number of gangs than divisions like North Eastern, Eastern, Southwestern, and Southern. We only trend lower than Western and Port-of-Spain for most of those years.”
He said the problem wasn’t just the sheer number of gangs but also the expanding territories they control. “I’m sharing this because I want the people of Tobago to understand that this crime issue, which affects all of Trinidad and Tobago, is not a foreign problem to us. It exists right here in our communities.”
Later on in his contribution, Augustine quoted from TT Police Service (TTPS) statistics, to highlight increases in other serious crimes.
He said in 2024 there were 790 serious crimes, up from 757 in 2023, while violent crimes decreased slightly from 247 in 2023 to 244 in 2024. However, he said the number of murders increased significantly, with 26 in 2024 compared to 14 the previous year. Shootings and woundings rose from 30 in 2023 to 58 in 2024, while reported robberies remained the same at 79 in both years.
“When we look at the security concerns in Tobago, we are left with no choice but to request an MOU with the Ministry of National Security,” he said.
He linked this to his concerns over the allocation of resources by Central Government and challenges in managing Tobago’s security needs.
“When we should be spending money to develop our own Department of Safety and Security, we’re forced to spend it on the sixth schedule, item two, which, according to the law, we should not be responsible for. This is neither fair nor sustainable. It’s not the most efficient way to manage security here.”
Augustine admitted that there is a shared responsibility within communities to address the rise in crime.
Minority Leader Kelvon Morris, however, pushed back on Augustine’s motion, calling it hypocritical.
He defended the Central Government, saying more was done to improve Tobago’s security apparatus, even when limited resources were available.
He asked, “Should the Minister of National Security come and teach us here in Tobago how to obey the law, how to build good families, how to provide resources such as playgrounds, and ensure we have youth programmes and policies? Should the Minister of National Security come and determine that here in Tobago, and will we allow him to come and determine that in Tobago?”
Efforts to contact Snr Supt Earl Elie, who is in charge of Tobago operations, for comment on the rise in gangs were unsuccessful up to press time last night.
However, speaking at a Tobago stakeholders’ security meeting on January 9, Elie explained how gangs had been exploiting “impressionable” teenagers.
“At that age, a young man is very impressionable. So, imagine you take a firearm and place it in the hands of a young, impressionable guy… that creates a certain sense of false power in that young guy.”
Elie said gangs now deliberately target teens by manipulating them.
He warned, “The underworld is getting to our children. We, as parents and adults, need to do a little bit more.”
