TTPS QUARTERLY No.1 (1)

Building and Enhancing Public Safety and Trust
One of the primary responsibilities of the TTPS is to
ensure the safety of the citizens, which can be achieved to
a great extent through crime statistics. Crime figures play
a dual role in this regard. In the first instance, knowledge
of crime figures can help citizens make informed decisions
about their personal safety; places, situations and
potential that may increase the chances of victimization.
From a theoretical perspective, crime statistics can
disrupt the crime triangle – which posits that crime occurs
when potential offenders and suitable targets come
together in space and time, in the absence of a capable
guardian. Suitable targets can refer to individuals or
property, such as homes and cars. Being cognizant of
crime rates can make targets less susceptible to potential
offenders through target hardening, change in behaviour
or other precautionary measures. This is especially
important at the individual level to inculcate a sense of
personal responsibility that works to prevent crime.
The second point is closely related to the first as
the regular communication of crime statistics, as
well as efforts aimed at reducing crime, can result
in the TTPS being perceived as more transparent
and accountable. This may, in turn, improve the
relationship between police officers and the public
through increased trust, and cooperation which
would enhance police legitimacy. Given that one of
the strategic goals of the TTPS is improving the level
of citizen-centred service, greater and more positive
engagement of the wider community and building
relationships based on trust is an essential part of this
process.
Crime Statistics in Action
well as informing crime prevention actions. Such predictions
can focus on a number of variables; offenders, victims,
geographic locations or crime events. In any case, this process
would allow for the strategic and efficient deployment of
resources by the TTPS in its crime fighting efforts. For
example, predictive analysis using crime data about a specific
type of serious crime from a station district may suggest the
increased likelihood of these events occurring on a particular
day and within a particular time frame. Therefore, patrols can
be proactively dispatched to prevent these incidents from
happening. Moving from a reactive position to a more
proactive one can significantly contribute to the reduction of
crime, which is one of the strategic goals of the TTPS. Without
high quality crime statistics and analysis, achieving this goal
would be impossible.
One recent example of crime statistics being used directly
to reduce crime was in the case of a sexual offender in the
Port-of-Spain Division. Between September 2014 and
September 2015, there were several reports of adolescent
boys being taken to abandoned or lonely locations, robbed
and sexually assaulted. The nature and relative prevalence
of these incidents were of great concern, making them a
top priority for police officers. Investigators analysed crime
data as well as employed temporal analysis, spatial analysis
and criminal profiling for each of these cases. The resulting
information strongly suggested that one offender was
likely to be responsible for the multiple offences. Further
work involving these methods led to one man being
arrested and charged for 26 offences emanating from the
incidents. Crime statistics played an integral part in the
apprehension of this dangerous and prolific offender as it
facilitated more advanced analyses to uncover hidden
patterns among several incidents. Crime statistics are not
simply figures, maps and charts but are the foundation of
crime control strategies used by the TTPS.
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