Transformative Police Reform in Trinidad and Tobago: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

Abstract The country of Trinidad and Tobago presents an interesting case for analysing policing and police reform through the lens of transformative justice. Informed by a review of the relevant literature, including the author’s independent research, this article details how the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service faces numerous challenges even after multiple evaluations and efforts at reform. Local civil society groups have been largely left out of police reform processes in spite of their local knowledge and social capital. Police reforms rooted in transformative justice will be difficult to achieve and sustain given current conditions in the country, but it is possible if there is a long-term and serious commitment to reform, led by local actors that initiate local solutions democratically while ensuring the genuine involvement of civil society groups, women, and other traditionally marginalized groups.