Applying the Problem-Solving Model to a Developing World Context: The Case of Murder in Trinidad and Tobago

• NCJ Number: 220960
• Journal: Crime Prevention & Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 275-290
• Author(s): Joel Miller; Nicole J. Hendricks
• Date Published: October 2007
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This article reflects upon the applicability of the problem-solving model of crime prevention, developed within Britain and the United States, to murder in Trinidad and Tobago.

Abstract

In applying the conventional Anglo-American problem-solving model to Trinidad and Tobago’s murder problem, it is concluded that the model is probably not sufficient, without adaptation, to cope with local realities. It is suggested that identifying a good range of conventional crime prevention techniques would not be adequate without further targeting problems within the political economy of Trinidad and Tobago’s institutions. These problems, such as institutional corruption, are seen as probably more severe than those encountered in the developing world context in which the model has evolved. Addressing these issues requires an extension of the problem-solving paradigm, considering solutions to institutional problems alongside crime problems in efforts to prevent crime. One suggestion is to place the primary responsibility for control and implementation of crime policy in the hands of locally organized community-based systems of governance, particularly in the neighborhoods where violence problems are most acute. The conventional Anglo-American model of “problem-solving” for crime prevention has become a dominant model in crime prevention in parts of the developed world. This article makes a contribution to the emerging body of literature that has begun to consider the challenges of importing developed world models of crime control to those of the developing world, specifically by reflecting on the case of Trinidad and Tobago. In light of the spiraling murder rate within the country, the article draws on problem-solving techniques to describe the murder problem and to critically consider strategies that might be effective in targeting it. References