With a day to go in February Trinidad & Tobago has hit another record for murders and if the trend continues to the end of the year it's likely that the homicide figure will cross 600.Each year the country breaks its own record for violent crimes. And while law enforcement agencies and government officials talk about their concern for the accelerating crime rate and promise tougher measures, it seems like business as usual for the criminals and murderers.
The latest victims were a foreman employed by the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and his wife. The URP is itself infested with criminals, according to documented records. A judge made that clear in 2008.
And National Security Minister Martin Joseph, who blames gangs for the majority of the crime in the country, begrudgingly conceded last year that "it is very possible" that there is a link with URP and other State-financed social welfare schemes.
His admission followed a damning declaration by High Court judge Anthony Carmona that URP was a breeding ground for violent crimes.
The latest killings have the hallmarks of the URP connection. One of the victims, Tracey Sealy, had been warned that her husband, Roger Baptiste, was threatened and that his life was in danger. A close relative warned her to keep a distance from her husband or she too would be at risk. She didn't take the precaution and lost her life.
Neighbours found the couple dead in a bedroom of their William Avenue, Morvant, apartment shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday and called police, who have concluded that the two died several hours earlier.
Neighbours say they heard the commotion and gunshots outside in the pre-dawn hours but were too frightened to come out to to investigate. That is happening more frequently that ever.
The story has the same ending as the scores of others about the mayhem in the country: "Homicide Bureau officers are continuing investigations".
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