Crime in Trinidad and Tobago

Reported risks include gang-linked shootings, homicide, firearm crime, armed robbery, assault, kidnapping, sexual assault, home invasion, burglary, larceny, motor-vehicle theft and bag-snatching. Digital crime includes phishing, smishing, vishing, business email compromise, ransomware, data breaches and online dating or romance scams. Carnival and other large events can increase opportunistic theft risks. Keep valuables out of sight, secure doors and windows, use exterior lighting, check service workers' identification, avoid isolated or poorly lit places at night, use established taxi providers and lock vehicle doors and windows. Do not resist an armed robbery. For dating-app meetings, choose a public place during the day, share the plan and location with someone you trust, and avoid isolated accommodation. After a burglary, do not enter until police advise that it is safe. Call 999 when police assistance is needed immediately. The TTPS has nine divisions and stations or posts across Trinidad and Tobago, including a separate Tobago Division with seven stations. You may report at any police station rather than only the station nearest your home. Reports can also be made through the TTPS app or online report form. The online form requests your name, address, telephone number, selected police station and a description of the incident, so it should not be treated as anonymous. Save the reference number and ask the detective at the reporting station for updates. Report a missing person immediately to the nearest police station. Suspicious or abandoned vehicles can also be reported. For an allegation, the TTPS generally requires the reporter to identify themselves. Anonymous crime information is associated with 555, while the Ministry of Homeland Security also publishes 800-TIPS (8477) for Crime Stoppers and 555 for an anti-crime hotline. Published number information is not fully consistent, so check the current TTPS or Ministry guidance before using an anonymous channel. Preserve photographs, screenshots, messages, phone numbers, account details, vehicle registration numbers, payment records and device information. Do not delete or alter evidence. Move away from immediate danger and call 999 instead of confronting an armed or violent person. The TTPS Victim and Witness Support Unit provides a practical and psychosocial link between police, victims and witnesses. Access can follow a police referral, a direct request at a station or direct contact with the unit. Listed contacts include 612-0301 extensions 13551 to 13553 at the Riverside Annex in Port of Spain, 653-8166 in San Fernando, 671-2005 in Chaguanas and 637-2540 in West End; the published email is victimandwitnesttps@gmail.com. Sexual violence can be reported to police on 999 or to the TTPS Special Victims Department. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-SAVE (7283), and the Rape Crisis Society and Ministry of the People provide related support. Seek urgent medical care after sexual assault and preserve potential evidence without confronting the alleged offender alone. For online incidents, TT-CSIRT provides technical incident response through its online report form, contacts@ttcsirt.gov.tt and +1 868 625-7937. The TTPS Cyber and Social Media Unit investigates the criminal aspect; ransomware guidance lists cybercrime@ttps.gov.tt, 612-0742 and 715-2072. Depending on the incident, report to TT-CSIRT, the TTPS and the affected bank or service provider. Use unique passwords of at least 12 characters, two-factor authentication and a password manager. Do not share passwords, one-time codes or PINs, check links and domains before opening them, use an official callback number and avoid banking over public Wi-Fi. Keep devices updated, locked and backed up. The Children's Authority accepts child-abuse reports through 996 or 800-2014, free 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as online, by email at Registry@ttchildren.org or by post. Anonymous reporting is possible, and the Authority assesses urgency and investigates; a reporter ID can support status requests. Childline can be reached on 131 or 800-4321. Youth-facing prevention includes TTPS youth clubs, community crime-prevention programmes, school lectures and workshops, and police youth or mentoring initiatives, with availability varying by area. The TTPS Crime Statistics Dashboard covers reported and detected offences across 15 categories and nine divisions, with monthly and division-level views for the available years 2018 to 2026. The figures are subject to source-data revisions, include a source-data gap in April 2018 and do not measure all crime because reported or detected offences are not the same as prevalence. TT-CSIRT figures likewise cover officially reported cyber incidents rather than the full number of incidents. Current emergency measures or police instructions can change quickly, so follow current TTPS notices and local authority directions.