The United Nations Development Programme, in 2012, conducted a survey — New Dimensions of Human Security — on crimes in seven of these Caribbean countries: Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, and Guyana.The report stated that 8.5 per cent of the global population resides in Latin America and the Caribbean, yet 27 per cent of the world’s murders take place in the region. It highlighted the failure of the justice system: delays and backlogs in processing criminal cases, which contributed to low conviction rates, while pre-trial detention is overused and exacerbated and prisons overcrowded.

The report also noted that prison capacity is described as overwhelmed; and faults in the system have had a negative effect on the capacity of fairness, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. From the population surveyed, the report stated that 1,200 people said that they live in fear of violent crime and general violence they had little confidence in the police. It further stated that the number of rapes in the region is higher than the world average. Thirty per cent of females surveyed said that they live in fear of being sexually assaulted. The percentages of those experiencing domestic violence range from six per cent in Jamaica to 17 per cent in Guyana, the report stated.

What is also worrying, the report found that the region has a particular problem with drug trafficking, accompanied by violence and corruption that support the trade. Additionally, the Caribbean is a central trans-shipment point for the narcotics trade they contributed considerably to crime, violence and social disruption in the region.

Accordingly, the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security Strategy (IMPACS) found that the Caribbean has sustainable developmental challenges which include small populations, very large maritime frontiers, susceptibility to external shocks and natural disasters, vulnerability to global and economic developments, and the threat of both domestic and transnational organised crime. (CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy, 2013)

However, the Caribbean, it stated, is committed to the principles and values of democratic choice, freedom, justice, prosperity, respect for and promotion of human rights, and good governance. Crime and security mandate is guided by these principles and values, all of which reflect the convictions of the community. The impact of crime and violence in the region, IMPACS posited, enhanced the high levels of fear on the citizenry and caused the escalation of homicide and other violent crimes. This has reduced citizen security, impeded socio-economic development and eroded confidence in nation-building.

Consequently, information from the IMPACS is that the average homicide rate in the Caribbean is 30 people killed for every 100,000 individuals annually. The Mexican society has an appalling drug-related violence which also impacts the Caribbean. It has a murder rate of 18, while the global rate is approximately five. All Caribbean member states, the report continued, have significantly higher rates per capita murder rate than the USA, which has a rate of 4.6 per 100,000. More than 70 per cent of the people who die a violent death in the Caribbean region are killed with a gun.

IMPACS reported that young people under the age of 30 comprise 60 per cent of the region’s citizenry and are both the main perpetrators and victims of violent crime. This very high level of violent criminality has reduced the citizens’ quality of life and placed the limited resources of the member states under extreme pressure. Also, it has reduced local and foreign investments and threatened the ability of the States to achieve their development goals, according to IMPACS. The report also noted that a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report (2011) stated that trafficking and illegal drugs are key drivers to the homicide rate in the Caribbean region. This, partly because of the effects of drugs, but mostly due to money derived from the trade which is used to purchase guns and finance criminal activities.

IMPACS also pointed out that the tourism industry is potentially vulnerable to an attack aimed at America or Europe. The geographical location of the region, the nature of the island chain, and its porous marine borders which enables relatively free movement, could be exploited to facilitate terrorist acts. There is evidence, IMPACS stated, that individuals from known terrorist groups are heavily involved in the illicit drug and gun trade and are increasingly mobile in the region. It also pointed out that the negative impact and consequences of the illegal gun trade go far and beyond the levels of homicides. Illegal guns, it warns, play a key role in all aspects of trafficking, not just as a commodity, but as a means to facilitate the trafficking of other commodities and as a tool to support criminal and deviant behaviours such robbery, rape, and other forms of non-sexual violence.

According to an article published in the

Jamaica Observer on July 11, 2014, entitled ‘Two face court after massive drug bust in Antigua’, the Office of National Drugs and Money Laundering in Antigua seized cocaine valued at EC$17 million in July 2014. This, the article reported, is the largest seizure in the Caribbean in recent times and follows a previous seizure of 23,000 pounds of cannabis, valued at EC$37,000, in which a Jamaican crew was arrested.

In 2010, the article continued, 9,000 kilos of cocaine, valued at EC$385.6 million, was seized and Colombian and Venezuelans nationals were arrested. This is just a glimpse of the magnitude of trans-shipment of drugs which is impacting the Caribbean. Ironically, this is probably why the Caribbean Human Development Report (2012) indicates that region-wide only 46 per cent of respondents said that, overall, they felt secure or very secure living in their countries (New Dimensions of Human Security, 2012).

Based on these reports, it can be concluded that the greatest threats to the region’s security and sustainable development are transnational organised criminal activities involving illicit drugs and illegal guns, gangs and organised crime, cybercrime, financial crimes, and corruption.

Each Caribbean State has its own security architecture; however, resource constraints to modernise these forces and train security officers to function in the challenging environment have negatively impacted the expected outcome from their activities. Also, the advent of globalisation, which facilitates technological innovation and transnational crimes, curtails governments’ ability to provide the citizenry and business with the desired security to address the insecurity they face.

In managing security issues, Liberalists noted that security issues require the involvement of the international institutions along with the cooperation of the states to achieve success. This theory strongly argues for the power of collective security. This is a protective measure used by a group of allied states which can best be described as one for all, all for one. This is why British Prime Minister David Cameron —

Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty, 2010 — believes that to comprehensively address security issues, there must be alliance and partnership which are fundamental to their approach to defence and security. They rarely act alone. Maintaining and building constructive and reciprocal relationships across all aspects of national security can achieve capability and maximise efficiency.

The British prime minister further pointed out that international engagement is one priority they have identified as a major essential to their future security. This approach has been supported by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard — 

Strong and Secure: A Strategy for Australia National Security, 2013 — who stated that their approach to national security connects all levels of government, business and community together. She argued that their approach looked outwards for areas of mutual interest and exchange. The result of these efforts is not always immediate, she argued, but it can be significant in the long run. She further stressed that the resulting partnership and trust established contributed significantly to the pursuit of their national security objectives, and that it also delivered benefits far and beyond the scope of their national security.

Security is critical because it provides those means, active and passive, which serve to protect and preserve an environment that allows for the conduct of activities within an organisation or society without disruption. This is why the realist argues that there must be multi-sectorial approaches to security for it to be meaningful. Referent objects other than the State have to be involved.

In developing a functional and workable security strategy to mitigate some of the social ills of the region, literacy and the general education of the population must be taken into consideration by respective states, that is, what is the quality of the educational system, and what quality of graduates are being produced? Are these graduates literate enough to function competently in the society? Are they of high quality to function competently in the working system or to join the security dynamics in the country to uphold law and order? Or, are they just able to function at or below average. These questions are of fundamental importance to forecasting the security needs and challenges which countries may have to contend with. In fact, insecurity impact people’s well-being in a challenging economic environment which, if not provided for, can escalate crime and violence.

Another area of focus is community demographic. This area impacts security and, therefore, security forces need to manage it well by gathering intelligence through community social structures in order to build their security database. This is important because perpetrators can be better tracked and potential deviant behaviours towards crime and violence identified. This will help the design of local security strategies and programmes which can help and assist in a regional approach. Therefore, the development of a functional and effective security strategy cannot be completed without the impact of the present and emerging local culture being taken into consideration.

The point is that domestic crimes have direct links to the organised criminal network. It disrupts people’s lives and facilitates dysfunctional communities, causing the youth to align themselves to gang activities and other deviant behaviours, such as murder, cybercrime, trafficking in drugs and arms, committing rapes and robbery, illiteracy, and also working to destabilise Government. The mitigating factors to domestic crimes have to be approached through several angles, such as social interventions from Government, civil society, and the community itself.

Importantly, good governance is of critical importance to the approach to address the social deficits in a society. Without good governance — which includes transparency, upholding the rule of law, responsiveness, equity, consensus, accountability, and participation, to name a few — there will be a trust deficit. When governments allow this trust deficit to manifest, there will be a breakdown of law and order. Good governance has to be a major factor for social order in society to ensure stability and that crime and violence will not escalate.

Ironically, Owen Ellington, Jamaica’s former commissioner of police, highlighted a visit of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to Jamaica and other countries to benchmark prospects for economic development —

Dealing effectively with guns and drugs for improved public safety, 2014. He also mentioned that Colombia suffered from high crime rates and there was difficulty for such countries to achieve any form of economic development and human security because of the state of crime and criminality.

From 2000, he said that Colombia was declared a failed state due to Government’s inability to control crime, drug trade, and corruption. He further pointed out that today; these two countries (Singapore & Colombia) are enjoying development and public safety never before seen. What he said these Governments did was to implement public security measures that provided the citizenry with a safe environment in which to operate. This, he said, propelled the Governments to engage in development activities which are now reaping enormous benefits for the people and the country. He articulated the views that security is one of the most critical element in any country that a Government must fix for there to be confidence in investments and development activities which is critical for the economy.

People need to feel dignified and have a sense of belonging in their respective communities. Therefore, a social infrastructure is necessary to facilitate this. In this approach, social intervention strategies will be paramount. In all, there has to be strong and decisive Government and governance process to lead and drive these processes in individual states. These are all components which have some impact on our overarching security dynamics and strategy. If not addressed, we are heading for failure in governance and probably, failed states. There is hope, however, in Jamaica’s Vision 2030 National Development Plan to create a place to live, work do business and raise families.

christopher.bryan@lime.com