...T&T Murder toll 2025 ,367 last year 626

Murder a day cannot be “normal.”

A 76-year-old man was shot and killed during an early-morning attack while playing cards outside his home in El Socorro. That killing, along with murders in Laventille, Marabella, and Tobago, pushed Trinidad and Tobago’s 2025 murder toll to 367 up to last night, compared with 626 for the same period last year.

Even with the decline, this level of violence is still unacceptable for T&T. A murder per day cannot be treated as normal, and citizens should not have to live with fear as part of everyday life.

The government and the minister with responsibility for national security must do better. Recent reporting has highlighted years of leadership neglect, particularly in funding, equipment, and support for the security services. At the same time, the national budget shows the country is in a weak financial position.

But fiscal pressure cannot become an excuse for inaction. T&T needs clear, measurable crime-reduction goals, properly resourced policing, faster investigations, and real accountability. Just as importantly, we need sustained investment in prevention, community programs, youth support, and safer neighbourhoods so we are not simply reacting after another family is left grieving.

Murder cannot be the price of living on these two islands.

Sarge