Crime and Violence in the Caribbean: A Comprehensive Approach

The Caribbean region faces significant challenges related to crime and violence. In order to address these issues effectively, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that incorporates various prevention strategies, management information systems, and collaboration with international partners.

Approaches to Crime Prevention

There are several approaches to crime prevention in the Caribbean region, including:

• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED): This approach involves designing physical environments that promote safety and reduce the opportunity for crime.
• Integrated Citizen Security Approaches: These approaches involve engaging citizens in crime prevention efforts and building trust between law enforcement agencies and the community.
• Public Health Approach: This approach views crime as a public health issue, requiring a comprehensive strategy to address its root causes.

Trade-offs between Approaches

One of the challenges of addressing crime and violence is the trade-off between resources spent on combating drug trafficking and those spent on other forms of crime and violence prevention. While efforts to combat drug trafficking are essential, they must be balanced with investments in other areas.

Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking

Certain types of crime, such as organized crime and drug trafficking, are largely impervious to prevention approaches and require a criminal justice-focused approach.

Management Information Systems

The development of management information systems and performance indicators is essential for better problem diagnosis, tracking of system outputs, monitoring reform programs, and providing increased accountability to citizens.

Evidence-Based Interventions

Successful interventions should be evidence-based, starting with a clear diagnostic about types of violence and risk factors, and ending with a careful evaluation of the intervention’s impact.

Reintegration of Deportees

More services should be offered to reintegrate deportees, and options should be explored for deporting countries to shoulder a significant portion of the costs of these programs.

Comprehensive Approach to Drug Trafficking

Interdiction needs to be complemented by other strategies outside the region (demand reduction in consumer countries and eradication and/or alternative development in producer countries).

Gun Ownership

Reducing gun ownership is difficult due to its link with the drug trade, politics, and associated garrison communities; better gun registries, marking, and tracking can help.

Youth Violence

Policy makers should borrow from evidence-based programs from other regions, such as early childhood development and mentoring programs.