Generating an understanding of police brutality in the small island state of Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Trinidad and Tobago (TT), like some other island states, experiences frequent incidents of police use of excessive force and police brutality which often involve individuals from low-income communities. The concepts of police use of excessive force and police brutality are often used synonymously. However, they can be distinguished by examining police brutality through an island studies lens. Hence this study aims to improve how police brutality can be understood and distinguished from police use of excessive force by applying an island studies theoretical framework. Additionally, because there is a dearth of academic literature on how colonialism has influenced police brutality in contemporary TT, and because little is known about how victims experience police brutality, the study also addresses those gaps. The current study bridges these gaps by conducting a phenomenological study to generate an understanding of the lived experiences of victims of police use of excessive force in low-income communities in Trinidad. Based on the analysis of the data collected from in-depth interviews with 18 research participants, six themes emerged. The findings were then analyzed through the lens of island studies and the implications of those findings were discussed. The study ends by making several recommendations.