Ashford Maharaj, Ph.D.

Dr. Maharaj is a financial consultant and an ex-member of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service who has submitted this letter to the Editor.

When six young men drove up into one’s private driveway in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) all of them wearing masks, except the driver, and all heavily armed with firearms on a bright and busy traffic hour afternoon, and invades the private dwelling of hard-working, dedicated citizens, then this has to be an act of war on the ordinary citizen, isn’t it?

As a matter of fact, defending oneself against such a squad or small army of armed young men is futile or hopeless. A show of force to deter the magnitude of such an invasion of private property could only be met by an instrument of the state, such as its organised police force or its army.

If this is the modus operandi of the criminal enterprises in Trinidad and Tobago, then crapaud smoke we pipe if we, the average Trinbagonian defend ourselves and our property against such a pseudo army of invaders.

Crapaud smoke we pipe if we, the average Trinbagonian defend ourselves

In many instances, offenders engage in a sudden and violent burst of entry into a dwelling place, leaving occupants powerless, afraid, and in a state of profound shock. A recent examination of data by way of the content analysis revealed that the crime of invasion is on the upswing in Trinidad & Tobago.

The crime of invasion is on the upswing in Trinidad & Tobago

It is important to note that home invasion involving robberies and all kinds of offenses against the person almost always involves a firearm or lethal weapons such as a cutlass, dagger-knives and so on, which are used to ensure the execution of commands are effectively obeyed by those present in the dwelling.    

The typical victims of home invasion crimes include those who are most vulnerable such as the elderly, those living singly, and others who appear to have a significant amount of cash denominated in domestic and especially foreign currencies.

A perception that members of the targeted household will have valuables such as an expensive car, jewelry, ornaments, and rare items of sentimental value handed down from generation to generation will be the target for an invasion .

It goes without saying that from the perpetrators’ viewpoint, home invasion is a lucrative business and given the low probability of being caught and convicted in the criminal justice system is quite low the criminal enterprise is deeply motivated by a big payoff. Crimes associated by invading the dwelling place of a family strike at the heart of the security apparatus in the victim’s homeland.

From the perpetrators’ viewpoint, home invasion is a lucrative business

Given the upswing of violence against a citizen in their own homes, this heinous type of crime and the sophistication of the organised gangs to commit these felonies are not well understood by the authorities and, indeed, the population at large.

Take, for example, a recent home invasion crime that was perpetrated on a typical target, such as the middle-class family comprising three generations – a grandmother, a daughter, and a grandson in the Valsayn area. These members were sitting in their living room chit-chatting about the grandson’s day at the office, about what’s for dinner, and other mundane events of the day.

Suddenly in the bright of daylight – 5.30 PM, an SUV pulled up into their garage. The occupants of the vehicle comprising of six seemingly young men alighted from their vehicle all of them wearing mask over their faces except the driver, burst into the living room and kidnapped the three occupants in the house and took them into different rooms in the same home, and tied them up.

The intruders demanded that the victims surrender the valuables in the house and to open the iron-safe cabinet “right now!”. The 50-year-old female occupant, in her fright, could not remember the code for the safe cabinet that housed jewelry, ornaments, and other items of birthright relevance. In her fright, the same 50-year-old victim understandably could not remember the code for the safe even though she tried several combinations while simultaneously being beaten and enduring intermittent throat strangulations with an electric cord.

This 50-year old victim reported that she heard the invaders speaking on what seemed to be a cell phone and kept following orders apparently given by what could be interpreted by her as the perpetrator’s boss at the other end of the phone.

This 50-year-old victim was beaten, tied up, bloodied, and left for dead as the invader ransacked the entire house helping themselves with cash comprising of domestic and foreign denominations, watches, jewelry, perfumes, and other items that the intruders deemed to have street value. While departing, they confiscated the family’s vehicle into which the loaded the unopened safe cabinet and drove away with bags of burglarized possessions.

This 50-year-old victim was beaten, tied up, bloodied, and left for dead as the invader ransacked the entire house

After freeing themselves, one of the lesser injured victims ran across and alerted the neighbors about the unfolding tragedy. The neighbors accompanied the victim and rendered assistance to the bloodied and badly beaten 50-year-old semi-conscious occupant. A report was made to the St Joseph Police, and all three victims sought and received immediate medical attention. They were given medical advice to rest for a few days in the aftermath of such a horrific ordeal. The police visited the crime scene and promised to continue an investigation.

I am fairly quite certain that the national security apparatus of the government is aware that the gangs of Trinidad have long gone past the mere turf protection and hegemonic masculinity and have taken on the additional role of securing the cash flows necessary to keep the gang entity as a viable enterprise.

The bottom line is that when the street gang moves away from a mere social undertaking into the area of economic warfare where, like any other business enterprise, profit is the goal, and the risk-reward constellation dictates the opportunity calculus in the payoff.

The gangs of Trinidad have long gone past the mere turf protection and hegemonic masculinity

As a matter of fact, in the Valsayn situation described above it took the mere brashness of the criminal invaders to wipe out the cherished savings of not one but three or more generations of accumulated wealth and cherished possessions of that family dating back as far as indentureship.

It took the mere brashness of the criminal invaders to wipe out the cherished savings of not one but three or more generations

The crime of home invasion is different from other types of crime against the person in that the victims will suffer physical harm and severe long-term traumatic stress that may require professional psychological counseling in addition to visible physical injuries that fester over he victim’s life. In fact, many of the victims never fully recover as they may be maimed physically forever, or witnessing of the slaying of one of their family members before their very eyes will breed nightmares in years to come.

Victims will suffer physical harm and severe long-term traumatic stress

These experiences would be etched in the long-term memory of all survivors who witnessed such a horrific ordeal. The loss of precious and expensive items is difficult, but the loss of the sense of safety in one’s home is incalculable and is even more challenging to regain. Indeed, many people develop a sense of loss of confidence in keeping themselves and their love-ones in their own place of abode and the festering fear of re-victimization because victims live day-to-day at the very scene of the heinous crime.

It should not surprise anyone when a victim in the Valsayn invasion begs the robbers to kill her because life is worth nothing after that ongoing ordeal. Indeed, the robbers almost fulfilled her wishes as the physical abuse continued unabated.

It should not surprise anyone when a victim in the Valsayn invasion begs the robbers to kill her

If citizens do not feel safe in their own homes or the proverbial ‘under the bed,’ or community or, for that matter, their own country, what would be their option?

And so, it is not uncommon for such victims to seek shelter in foreign lands. After all, the sanctity of the home has been breached, and members of the household have physical and psychological scars to show for the ordeal, assuming they survive. Because home invasion is not any other crime of burglary or a hold-up, but trespassing, stealing, and ruthless violence.

The typical crime of stealthily breaking, entering, and stealing items without being caught has taken on a new dimension where brazen criminals immersed in marauding gangs invade a home in the dark of night or even in broad daylight, and commit vicious and heinous crimes against the person and helping themselves with valuables on their way out.

It is only the state and its national security apparatus that can stem the rising tide of the illegally emboldened home invaders, who seem bent on maximizing financial gains against the low cost of being caught and convicted in a court of law.

It is only the state and its national security apparatus that can stem the rising tide of the illegally emboldened home invaders,

The conclusion is that in today’s Trinidad & Tobago, home invasions by organised armed gangs are warlike crimes, and the state must respond proportionately. After all, the primary purpose of a government is to protect its citizens against enemies, both foreign and domestic.