Do states of emergency in the Caribbean suppress gang violence or spread it? The cases of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago - The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
Report Title: Do states of emergency in the Caribbean suppress gang violence or spread it? The cases of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago - A look at states of emergency in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago shows that these measures are likely ineffective at curbing gang violence in the long term.
Source: The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a non-profit organization specializing in collecting, analyzing, and mapping real-time data on political violence and protests worldwide. It tracks dates, locations, actors, and fatalities for events like battles, riots, and civilian targeting across 200+ countries, serving as a key resource for researchers and policymakers.
Date of Publication: September 24, 2025
Author: Sandra Pellegrini, ACLED Senior Analyst, Latin America & the Caribbean
Key Report Takeaways:
Transnational trafficking of drugs and weapons, combined with the fragmentation of the gang landscape, fueled an escalation in violence that peaked in 2023 in both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
In response, governments adopted states of emergency (SoEs) to curb gang violence. While violence declined in 2025, evidence does not support a direct or sustained link to SoEs.
SoEs produce uneven and localized reductions in violence. They can temporarily suppress violence, but often they displace gang activity to other areas.
The resilience and adaptability of gangs — through leadership succession, splintering, and mobility — have blunted the long-term impact of SoEs, with violence and rivalries frequently resuming after short-lived lulls.
Militarized security operations under SoEs have fueled police brutality and rights abuses, with effects that extend beyond emergency periods and erode public trust in law enforcement.
To read the entire report, look here.
