TCIs Murder Rate would rank in World’s Top 5 due to “Bloody September”

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, October 6, 2022 – In the 26 days since Magnetic Media last reported on the TCI’s murder rate it has risen to 73.4 per 100,000 people  up from 45.5 per 100,000 people.

In early September MM reported the country was “on par with some of the most violent Caribbean countries” now the Turks and Caicos is above most of  the most violent countries in the world. This is because of its exceedingly small population vs the significant number of killings.

The rate was again calculated by Magnetic Media using formulas from the California Attorney General’s office, population data provided by Deputy Premier and Minister with responsibility for Statistics and crime data provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.

The Turks and Caicos population is listed as 35,000 residents.

Last month, the TCI murder rate had exceeded that of Jamaica; the Dominican Republic; The Bahamas; and Trinidad and Tobago.  This month the Turks and Caicos ranks above South Africa (40 per 100,000 according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime).

In addition, it ranks above some of the countries with the highest rates in the world for 2021 including Honduras (56.52), Venezuela (56.33), Virgin Islands (49.26) Jamaica (47.01) and Lesotho (41.2).

The Turks and Caicos is not usually listed on lists detailing the highest murder rates globally by virtue of it being an overseas territory of the United Kingdom rather than a nation of its own. If the TCI was ranked independently, it would be in one of the top five spots.

In comparison, and on the more peaceful side of the scale, the World Bank says Singapore, a country home to some 5.7 million people has a murder rate of a solid zero, at last check. The TCI also dramatically tops the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Bermuda, other British overseas territory, the latter is currently struggling with gang violence having had four homicides in 2022.

The Turks and Caicos, in September and early October recorded 15 murders.  So far in 2022, there have been 26 murders in the TCI.