There were 279 murders in the first eight months of 2015, down from 291 in that period in 2014. The General Election (GE) was held on September 7th and the PNM won. There were 141 murders in the last four months of 2015, up from 112 in 2014. This spike happened mostly in September which saw 122% more killings than September 2014, 49 vs. 22.

Murders increased 7% compared to 2016, from 462 to 495.

Murders increased 3% compared to 2018, from 517 to 536. But some things stood out. The first half of 2019 saw an 8% drop in murders. Another Local Gov't Election was expected at year's end, and was held on December 2nd. July to November saw a 15% increase in murders compared to 2018.

On December 31st, heavily armed gunmen opened fire on passengers and passersby at a taxi stand in downtown Port-of-Spain. One person, a woman, later died out of the nine injured. Analysis of the incident revealed that there were no rival gang members or specific persons of interest to the shooters in the vicinity. But it was revealed that a gang leader allegedly issued an instruction to "ensure that the homicide rate for 2019 crossed the previous record (set in) 2008." A General Election was due within less than a year.

The second half total of 281 became the highest half-year total according to monthly stats available from the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service (TTPS). However, 2008's record of 547 killings remained intact for a while longer.

The first half of 2021 saw 177 murders, the second half 271. This was a 53% increase, possibly the greatest escalation of violence we've ever seen within the same year. Gary Griffith's 3-year contract as Commissioner of Police was not renewed in August. There was further contention over this non-renewal, and over procedures for appointments to this position. 448 murders were committed in total.

2023 brought a record-breaking 338 murders up to July 31st (there was an even higher toll in 2024). The LGE was held in August. Murders were 15% lower in the four months after the election, compared to 2022 (180 vs. 213). As at September 30th, the TTPS categorized 99 murders as "unknown motives," the second highest category behind "gang-related.”

"This thing that is going on where they are just going around killing innocent people’s children, I don’t know for what reason, they have to just stop it. I am fed up with crime.” The words of Kerry-Ann Jacob, grieving mother of 18-year-old entrepreneur Kaylon Jacob, who was gunned down while delivering a meal for his grilled food business. "THEY'RE KILLING INNOCENTS" by Ryan Hamilton-Davis, NEWSDAY, July 23rd, 2023.

With the reduction in killings after the LGE, 2023 finished with “only” 577 murders, below the new record just set in 2022, but still well above the alleged mission total of 550. Both 2022 and 2024 had over 200 murders from September to December, and higher totals overall. 2023 finished lower, but only because of the dip after the election.

The State of Emergency ended on April 13th, at which point there were 112 murders for the year, 48 less than 2024’s 160 at that date. However, instead of murders rising steadily after the lifting of the SoE, they declined further, especially in May (which saw an estimated 50% drop) but also in June, after the General Election of April 28th, which was won by the former Opposition UNC's Coalition of Interests. Outside of figures recorded during the recent SoE, the combined total of murders for May and June was the lowest two-month total since the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. The murder toll, and crime overall, surged in July after questions were raised on social media about why the bloodshed hadn’t returned to "normal" levels so long after the SoE.

Strikingly, instead of acknowledging the reduction, one popular television station (perceived by some to be politically biased) posed this loaded viewer poll question on July 7th: “Are you concerned that there has been no reduction in the country’s murder rate?” Less than a week later, their sister media outlet had to admit that the country’s murder toll was now 99 murders less than last year’s total at the same date. That's a reduction. The deficit of 48 that was built up in three and a half months under a State of Emergency, doubled to 99 in three months with no SoE and no new crime plan in place. This admission exposed what seems to have been an attempt at deceiving the population with a misleading poll. Were they trying to hide the decline and stop citizens from asking reasonable questions, and coming up with obvious answers, about this welcome but somewhat miraculous reduction?

On July 18th 2025 the nation found itself under another SoE due to an alleged "threat," but with more questions than answers. Naturally, citizens can't be blamed for speculating: Which officials are under threat and why? What did they do or not do to anger the criminal element? Hopefully we'll know the whole truth very soon.