Murders in Laventille as politicians put crime at top of election agenda

Jamilla Des Vignes was six-months pregnant and had gone to a wake in her neighbourhood. At 19, her life was just beginning. She had two young children. Moses Caton, 28, was also at the wake.

Today they are both dead, shot and killed by two gunmen who reportedly drove up in a car around one in the morning and fired on the people at the wake. Six others were injured, one in critical condition in hospital.

Police investigators say it was related to gang warfare. So far they have detained 11 people for questioning and are looking for the getaway car as they continue their investigations.

The wake was for a man named Francis ’Willy’ Moreau who died last Monday from a brain infection. People had just gathered to mourn Willy, the man's son told local media and no one expected the bloodshed.

But in Laventille where gangs and guns are a way of life anything can happen. The incident is not isolated.

Thousands have been killed in Trinidad and Tobago in the past eight years, with more than one murder every day. There were more than 540 homicides in 2009 according to official police statistics and more than 500 the year before; many more people missing.

Kidnappings, rapes, brutal attacks and petty crimes add up to earn the country the reputation of being in the top 10 list of the most violent places in the world.

Crime has become the number one campaign issue in the May 24 general election with the opposition telling people now is the time to change the government because the Manning administration has failed to protect them.

For its part the government is saying, people must show patience. And the national security minister is promising a "dramatic reduction in crime" very soon.

Read the story: Nothing to fear, we will fix crime problem: Joseph

Prime Minister Patrick Manning has predicted "another round of gang wars." He has said this would happen because gangs would be fighting for turf after his crime busting plans create a shortage of drugs on the local market. The "drug wars" would decline once his plan works, he said.

For her part, Opposition leader KamlaPersad-Bissessar has given Manning and his administration a failing grade in crime prevention and has proposed a multi-pronged approach to crime-fighting if her People's partnership gets into government.

“We will hold the police accountable for the effective delivery of their services, establishing clear and measurable benchmarks for crime reduction and containment,” she told supporters at a political meetings this week.

She also said her government would use new technologly, better training of law enforcement personnel, community policing and an attack on crime at the root.

"We’ll also overhaul criminal justice, re-balancing the system in favour of victims and ensuring that criminal and civil matters are separately addressed,” she pledged.