THEME:

The study investigates the various impacts of drug trafficking on the community of Iere Village, Princes Town.

CANDIDATE’S NAME:

Geeta Sarah Seunarine

CANDIDATE’S NUMBER:

1600160694

SCHOOL:

Cowen Hamilton Secondary

SUBJECT:

Caribbean Studies

TEACHER:

Ms. Ellis
 T O P I C: P A G E NO. :

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1

 INTRODUCTION 2

 LITERATURE REVIEW 4

 DATA COLLECTION SOURCES 7

 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS 9

 ANALYSIS OF DATA 14

 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 17

 CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS 19

 BIBLIOGRAPHY 22

 APPENDICES 23
I would like to express my gratitude to the following people for assisting me in successfully

organising and completing my Caribbean Studies Internal Assessment in its entirety both

thoroughly and diligently:

 Firstly, my Caribbean Studies teacher, Ms. Ellis, for edifying me on all the necessary

topics required to understand and commence this assignment and for guiding me

wholeheartedly throughout.

 Secondly, the Librarians of Cowen Hamilton for helping me gather essential

information on the theme I chose to research including lending me the Nelson Thornes’

C.A.P.E. Caribbean Studies Study Guide textbook.

 Thirdly, my family members, neighbours and community members whom I

interviewed, inquiring their opinions on my selected topic, “The Impacts of Drug

Trafficking on the Community of Iere Village, Princes Town” and for filling out the

questionnaire given.

 Fourthly, my lovely parents for acquiring all the necessary materials like letter-size

coloured paper, folders, ink etc. and for their encouragement and support.

 Finally, the Almighty God for sparing life and instilling in me the knowledge, wisdom,

strength and guidance to do this project.

I thank you all and truly could not have completed this assignment without you.

1
RELEVANCE OF THE TOPIC

In recent times, there has been an emergence of local drug markets in the once very

crime-free community of Iere Village, Princes Town. One year ago the first drug dealer entered

the community and set up his market and just a few months back a resident of Iere Village

started selling drugs as well. This has caused the residents to feel unsafe as there are now

criminals and drug addicts infiltrating the community. The police officers who are fully aware of

the situation have suspiciously decreased their visits drastically causing more panic among the

residents. These circumstances have in turn caused an increase in the crime-rate in the area and

also the youths of the village are now getting involved in drugs as well. Examination of this

quandary in the village is the main reason that influenced the decision to study the effects and

impacts of drug trafficking in Iere Village, Princes Town.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The title of this study is, “The Impacts of Drug Trafficking on the Community of Iere

Village, Princes Town”. Iere Village is a rural district found in the country of Trinidad and

Tobago. It comprises of a main road and four interconnecting streets that intertwine with one

another at the end of the village and is home to approximately four hundred and fifty residents.

Iere Village is a peaceful community but recently has become quite perilous due to the

introduction of drug dealing in the community. At the end of the study the following questions

should be answered; 2
1. What are the effects of drug trafficking on the residents?,

2. What are the crimes caused by drug trafficking in the village?,

3. What are the social and economic impacts of selling drugs in the community? and

4. What can be done to stop drug trafficking in the area?

EDUCATIONAL VALUE

This study has abundant educational value as drug trafficking in small communities is not

only a major problem in Trinidad and Tobago but also worldwide. Attaining knowledge about

the effects of drug trafficking on a community can give an insight on the relationship between

local drug markets, drug sellers and their lost communities which can in turn provide solutions

on how to prevent drug dealing in the local communities. The research project will be beneficial

to the police force, the Ministry of National Security as well as Law, Psychology and Sociology

students. These institutions and personnel can gain information on the causes and effects of drug

trafficking and what can be done to stop it.

DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL TERMS

Drugs – Medicine or other substances which have a physiological effect when ingested or

otherwise introduced into the body.

Drug Trafficking – the term used to describe the production, distribution and sale of illegal

drugs.

Drug Prohibition Law – prohibited-based law by which governments prohibit, except under

license, the production, supply and possession of many, but not all, substances which are

recognised as drugs.

Symbiosis – a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups.

3
 To date there has been little research into the impact of drug dealing and dealers on

communities in which they operate, and the nature of the relationship between them. However,

there are a few studies that have been done to document how drug trafficking affects the

community. In an effort to understand the impacts of drug trafficking on the community of Iere

Village a number of sources were examined. In order to study the impacts of drug trafficking, a

definition of what is drug trafficking is necessary. The United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime (UNODC) (United Nations©, 2015) states that drug trafficking is a global illicit trade

involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to

drug prohibition laws.

Local drug markets are linked with both the legal and illegal economies of the

neighbourhoods in which they are situated. The Institute for Criminal Policy Research, King’s

College London (Tiggey May, 2005) presented findings from a study examining drug dealing in

four English communities in which they found that though drug sellers’ activities caused

widespread concern among residents and to a majority caused them to feel unsafe in their own

surroundings, they were to a greater or lesser extent bringing money and cheap goods into their

neighbourhoods.

The study stated that neighbourhoods with a strong sense of community identity

facilitates the emergence of drug markets which in turn can become a symbiosis in the

community benefitting members who are not directly involved in terms of stolen, cheap goods

4
circulating through the community and linking to the illegal economy. However, the study also

noted that the local ‘legal’ economy is diminishing as losses in businesses in drug dealing areas

are pre-eminent as well as expensive security system installations by the upper class people who

reside in such tarnished zones cause the financial depletion of certain parts of the community.

The study also stated that the major effect of dealing drugs in small communities is the increased

presence of police in these areas as police patrols become an everyday viewing.

The U.S. Department of Justice, National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat

Assessment 2010 (Uday Dabir, 2010) had determined in their study that the participation of

young people in the drug market was reported to be increasing. They also stated that the damage

caused by drug abuse, addiction and trafficking is now reflected in an overburdened justice

system, a strained healthcare system, lost productivity and environmental destruction. Local drug

markets give the communities a negative reputation which brings immense concern to the

residents. It was assumed that due to the local drug markets, violence increases in the area.

In an article entitled, “Drug Abuse, Drug Trafficking and Organised Crime” by (Ms.

Hanifa Mezoui, 2012), there is an outline of the outrageous surplus of crime during the years in

the drug selling communities as drug lords are developing gang turfs in the particular

communities and horrendous murders and gun wars have become an everyday depiction. She

also stated that burglaries and vandalization of property were at an all time high in these areas as

drug buyers steal from residents in order to purchase more drugs which causes migration of

residents to a safer community. Other crimes caused by drug trafficking listed by Voices of

Youth (Yale Oxley, 2012) includes robbery/theft, kidnapping and trespassing.

In a research piece done by the National Drug Council of the Government of the

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (Andre Bagoo, 2009) entitled, “Impact of the Drug Trade on

5
the Community”, there was a highlight on the community’s role in tackling the local drug market

in terms of sticking together and powering a dynamic and substantial retaliation as each

community is different therefore the same legal procedures of the justice system will not work in

every community. To summarize the studies/research pieces, articles, books and any other data

reviewed on the effects and impacts of drug trafficking on the community it can be concluded

that in addition to punishing dealers, other agencies besides the police need to be involved.

Community support is needed and to engender this as the ambivalent relationships that

some communities have with their illicit economies needs to be understood. Preventing young

people from entering a drug market, either as sellers or runners, needs to be tackled at local level

and needs to involve professionals whom young people trust and are able to communicate with.

Different sorts of markets will demand different sorts of responses and if those who tackle local

drug markets misunderstand and over simplify the way in which they work, the risk of failure

will be high.

6
RESEARCH DESIGN

For this research project both primary and secondary sources are utilized. The primary

sources are filled out questionnaires and personal narratives by the community members of Iere

Village. The secondary sources are the books, articles and studies written and conducted by

others that are analyzed to interpret the primary sources so as to assign value and draw

conclusions about events reported in the primary sources.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

The methods of data collection used are conventional printed questionnaires (primary),

online research, reviewing of crime magazines, newspapers and articles (secondary). A

questionnaire is a set of pre-set questions given to persons who make up the population of the

study. Questionnaires are an appropriate method of data collection as they are easy to distribute

and quantitative data is collected which can be analyzed thoroughly through statistical or

mathematical means. It is also suitable as the study is focused on residents of Iere Village,

Princes Town and questionnaires can be given directly to them to be completed. The

questionnaires can also be generalized to the wider communities surrounding for larger studies.

The conventional questionnaire designed consists of seventeen (17) close-ended questions and

five (5) open-ended questions (Appendix 1). The secondary sources are also very suitable as the

Internet is very easy to access and has a vast majority of information on drug trafficking and the

7
crime magazines located in the school library are solely based on criminal activities so the

extraction of data from the articles is quite easy.

SELECTION OF SAMPLE

Iere Village has an approximate population of four hundred and fifty (450) persons. The

population of the sample was chosen by using the Systematic Sampling Method. Systematic

sampling allows the researcher to select every nth household to fill out the questionnaires with ‘n’

being a particular number chosen by the researcher. In this study every 5th household in Iere

Village was selected where the researcher started with the very first house at the beginning of the

village. The randomly selected member of each household was given a brief description of the

study and asked to fill out the questionnaire. A total number of ninety (90) households were

selected. The sampling method allowed random sampling with a systematic design as the sample

space was able to spread evenly over the population reducing bias and increasing the objectivity,

validity and reliability of the data collected within the study.

COLLECTION OF DATA

The study was conducted in January 2015. Four weeks in the month of January, dated

from the 4th to the 31st, were used to carry out the study. Upon distribution of the questionnaire to

the respondents, they were given three days to complete and return it to the researcher. All ninety

(90) questionnaires were returned to the researcher. The secondary sources were collected during

the same period through online research and from several magazines entitled, “The American

Bar Association (ABA) Journal”, “The Community Crime Watch Magazine” and “Nab Shot” (a

crime-fighting magazine).

8
 Figure 1: A Column Graph Showing the Impacts of Drug Trafficking on the Community of

Iere Village

50%

45%
46.67% Increased Presence of Police in the
40% area
Increased Presence of Criminals in
Percentage of Respondents

35% the area

30% Increased Violence/Crime in the
area
25% Distribution of cheap, traded goods
to community members
20%
22.33% 20%
15%

10%
11%
5%

0%
Increased Increased Increased Distribution of
Presence of Presence of Violence/Crime cheap, traded
Police in the Criminals in the in the area goods to
area area community
members
Impacts of Drug Trafficking on the Community

9
Figure 2: A Pie Chart Showing the Effects of Drug Trafficking on the Residents of Iere Village

Pie Chart Showing the Major Effects of Drug

Trafficking on the Residents

4.45%

Feeling of insecurity in and around

home
24.44% Youths now getting involved in drugs
44.44%
Desire to leave the community

26.67% No effects whatsoever

Figure 3: Table Showing the Different Crimes Caused by Drug Trafficking in the Area

Crimes Caused by Drug Trafficking Percentage of Respondents

BURGLARY 43.33%

ROBBERY/THEFT 27.78%

TRESPASSING 17.78%

KIDNAPPING 5.56%

MURDER 2.22%

OTHER 3.33%

10
 Figure 4: A Bar Graph Showing the Effects of Drug Trafficking on the Youths of the Community
Effects of Drug Trafficking on the Youths of the

Selling drugs with the local dealers 11.11%

Dropping out of school 23.33%

Community

Hanging around bad company 34.45%

Youths now doing drugs 31.11%

0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00%

Percentage of Respondents

Figure 5: A Column Graph Showing the Economic Impacts of Drug Trafficking in the Community

Graph Showing Economic Impacts of Drug Trafficking

in the Community
Percentage of Respondents

45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00% 41.11% 27.78%
10.00% 24.44%
5.00% 6.67%
0.00%
Loss of business Increased Traded goods Other
expenditure to circulating the
safeguard home community
Economic Impacts

11
 Figure 6: A Doughnut Chart Showing the Reasons for Selling Drugs in Iere Village

Chart Showing Reasons for Selling Drugs in Iere Village

No police force in the area

26.67% 28.89%

Knowledge of local addicts

Dealers moved from previous turf due

to conflict
Dealers wanting to make easy money
21.11% to help their families out of poverty
23.33%

Figure 7: A Table Showing the Methods Used by the Community Members to Improve the

Safety In and Around Their Homes From Criminals

METHOD USED TO SAFEGUARD HOME PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS

Installation of burglar proof doors and windows 50.00%

Installation of CCTV cameras around the house 20.00%

Installation of barbed wire fencing 15.56%

Other 14.44%

12
 Figure 8: A Graph Showing Suggestions of What the Community Members Think the

Government Can Do to Curb the Issue of Drug Trafficking in the Area

Suggestions by Community

Oraganise counselling sessions and lectures for 20%

manufacturers, distributors and buyers of illegal drugs
Members

Giving police special training and insight from experts on 25%

tackling local drug trafficking

Government should make laws for harsher penalties for drug 55%
related crimes

0% 20% 40% 60%

Percentage of Respondents

Figure 9: A Diagram Showing What the Community Members Thought They Should Do to Help

Eradicate Drug Trafficking From Iere Village

Pie Chart Showing Respondents' Suggestions on

What They Can Do to Eradicate Drug Trafficking

Come together as a powerful force

and with the aid of the justice system
combat legally with the dealers

Come together and protest for the

establishment of a police station in
the area

Form a neighbourhood watch to see

when criminals, addicts etc. enter the
community to purchase drugs and
make a police report immediately

13
 Based on the findings of the study several conclusions can be made through

comprehensive analysis. From the graph showing the impacts of drug trafficking on Iere Village,

it can be inferred that the major impact of selling drugs in the community was an increase in

violence and crime in the area, indicated by 46.67% of the respondents. The second major

impact, selected by 22.33%, was the increased presence of criminals in the area. This trend in

choosing the criminal activity related options suggested that there was certainly a problem

concerning crime as it was noticed by more than half of the respondents. 20% of the residents

thought that the primary impact was the recent distribution of goods (grocery items, furniture,

clothes) to certain poor families that were affiliated to the first drug dealer while 11% chose an

increase in the presence of police in the area.

When queried about the effects of drug trafficking on the residents of the community,

44.44% of the population of the study decided that the principal effect was a feeling of insecurity

in and around their homes. This corresponded to the 24.44% of people that agreed to their desire

to leave the community as the leading effect. 26.67% chose the involvement of youths in drugs,

however, 4.45% opted that the selling of drugs in the community had no effect on them. There

was a pattern found in the different crimes caused by drug trafficking. The dominant crime,

selected by 43.33% of the respondents, was burglary, followed by 27.78% choosing

robbery/theft and 17.78% picked trespassing. After analyzing this pattern, one can conclude that

mostly criminals were entering the community to buy drugs since they steal, mainly from

residents’ homes, after scoping out the village. 5.56% of the respondents chose kidnapping as the
14
prominent crime, 2.22% decided on murder and 3.33% selected other.

There was also a pattern found in the effects of drug trafficking on the youths of the

community as three effects singled out in a particular order by the respondents were akin. Its

connection was that one effect seemed to lead to the other. This was shown as 34.45% of the

residents correlated hanging out with bad company with the primary effect of selling drugs on

the youths, 31.11% established that the leading effect was that the youths were now doing drugs,

mainly marijuana, as stated by the youths in the area themselves and the third major effect,

selected by 23.33% was the youths were dropping out of school due to their involvement in

drugs. These three selections in that particular order appeared analogous and comparable with

one another. The minority of 11.11% chose the selling of drugs by youths as the major effect.

According to the findings, the main economic impact of drug trafficking in Iere Village,

Princes Town was the loss of business in the community as customers, clients etc. were afraid of

entering certain parts of the community, indicated by 41.11% of the respondents. 27.78% of the

population selected increased expenditure in materials to safeguard their homes as the major

economic impact, 24.44% selected the circulation of cheap goods that was traded in for drugs by

business people through the community to certain members while 6.67% chose other.

Residents were asked about their assumption on the reason for the drug dealers choosing

Iere Village to sell drugs. 28.89% indicated that it was due to the lack of police authority in the

area, 21.11% assumed, after gaining information from sources close to the dealer that then

spread throughout the community, that it was because of confliction of turf between drug dealers

and local gangs in the previous area where the first dealer sold drugs, 23.33% decided that it was

due to the dealers’ knowledge of local addicts in the area and 26.67% agreed that it was due to

the dealers’ wanting to make easy money to help their relatives in the community out of poverty.

15
 The 90 respondents were enquired about what they did to improve the safety in and

around their homes from the threats posed by the criminals entering the community to buy drugs.

50% of the population admitted to the installation of burglar proof doors and windows, 20%

selected installation of CCTV cameras, 15.56% ticked installation of barbed wire fencing as the

method used to safeguard their homes while 14.44% chose other.

On examining the responses made to the question, “What do you think the government

can do to curb the issue of drug trafficking in the community?”, 55% of respondents stated that

laws for harsher penalties should be made for crimes related to drugs. 25% said that the police

force should be given special training and insight on how to tackle problems related to drug

trafficking while 20% replied that counselling sessions should be organised for manufacturers,

dealers and buyers of illegal drugs (drug traffickers).

In response to what the community members thought that they should do help eradicate

drug trafficking from Iere Village, 13% of the residents indicated their desire to come together as

a powerful force and combat legally with the dealers, with the help of the justice system, which

should ultimately lead to the imprisonment of the dealers. 30% protested that they should call for

the establishment of a police station in the area to rid the problem in its entirety while 47% stated

that a neighbourhood watch should be formed to see when criminals, addicts etc. enter the

community to buy drugs so they can report it to the police instantly and have them arrested.

16
 According to the definition of drug trafficking by the United Nations Office on Drugs

and Crime (United Nations, 2015) the selling of drugs, subject to drug prohibition laws, in the

relatively small community of Iere Village, Princes Town can be described as drug trafficking.

The researcher’s study indicated that the main economic effects of the local drug markets in Iere

Village were loss of business, increased expenditure on security items like CCTV cameras,

fencing etc. by residents to safeguard their homes and cheap goods were now being distributed to

poor families in the community that were related to the drug dealers. These findings supported

the study done by The Institution for Criminal Policy Research, King’s College London (Tiggey

May, 2005) suggesting that local drug markets are linked with both the legal and illegal

economies of the neighbourhoods.

Due to the selling of drugs in Iere Village, there were addicts and criminals entering the

community to buy drugs which caused an increase in the violence and crime in the area

especially in burglaries and robberies. These observations corresponded to the information in the

article written by Ms. Hanifa Mezoui (Mezoui, 2012) which also stated that the excessive

increase in crime rates causes residents to migrate to safer communities. The yearning to leave

the community was also felt by residents of Iere Village. Other crimes that were caused by drug

trafficking in the village corresponded to the crimes listed by Voices of Youth (Yale Oxley,

2012) which included robbery/theft, trespassing and kidnapping. (Tiggey May, 2005) found in

his study that the increased presence of police is the major effect that drug trafficking has had on

the communities but this did not match to the findings of the researcher since the major effect

17
was analyzed to be increased crime in the area. It should be noted that (Tiggey May, 2005) based

their study on four different English communities but my researcher piece was focussed on one

community therefore the methodology of this study is less reliable/consistent compared to the

college’s and their information would be more accurate on a large scale basis.

Drug trafficking has been happening in Iere Village for the past two years and has caused

many negative outcomes. It was found in the study that the youths in the community were now

getting involved in drugs as a user and/or a seller which impacted their education as they were

dropping out of school. This corresponded to The U.S. Department of Justice, National Drug

Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2010 (Justice, 2010) which determined in

their study that the participation of young people in the drug market was increasing and this

problem need to be tackled at a local level by trained professionals that the young people could

communicate with comfortably.

The major effect of drug trafficking on the residents of the neighbourhood was their

feeling of insecurity in and around their homes which caused most of them to install security

equipment mainly burglar proof doors and windows, CCTV cameras and barbed wire fencing.

This major effect was also noted by (Tiggey May, 2005). The community members of Iere

Village, Princes Town stated their desire to come together as a dynamic power and retaliate

against the drug dealers in the area so that they can be punished and their community’s

reputation can be saved. The community’s role in tackling the local drug market was also

highlighted by (Andre Bagoo, 2009) in their research piece which stated the importance of

community support. The secondary sources that were examined and the primary sources

investigated by the researcher had a significant amount of similarities with very few differences.

18
CONCLUSIONS

The study was based on the impacts of drug trafficking on the community of Iere Village,

Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago. It highlighted the ambiguities that exist in the relationships

between local drug markets, drug sellers and their lost communities as well as questioning the

effectiveness of policies based exclusively on punishing those who sell drugs. Based on the

findings, it can be concluded that there are many negative impacts of selling drugs on the

community of Iere Village where the majority of the residents are left feeling unsafe in their own

homes due to the increased crime rate. Other effects are loss of business, straying away of the

youths and the setting up of more local drug markets in the area and the migration of residents to

safer communities.

Laws for harsher penalties should be made against people who sell drugs. In summary,

the study reveals interesting, controversial and useful information beneficial to young people,

parents, the Justice System, Drug Councils and many other agencies and individuals. On a

personal note, the issue of drug trafficking in Iere Village is very saddening as it has invaded

every corner of the community and no one has taken a stand or initiative to deal with this

problem. Drug trafficking is a major problem worldwide and it seems that the justice system has

lost all hope in the fight against this epidemic.

19
LIMITATIONS

The results of the study provided valuable, additional information to current knowledge

on the issue of drug trafficking in small communities however, there were limitations to the

study. Some of which were:

 The data collection method of using questionnaires limited the quantity of information

provided by the population of the study as three-quarters of the questions were close-ended. If

one-on-one interviews were conducted then a greater amount of information would have been

provided for analysis.

 The population of the study (90 respondents) was somewhat small compared to the

sample space of 450 residents therefore many may have different opinions from the 90

respondents used compromising the validity of the report therefore more residents could have

been given the questionnaire to gain more reliable information.

 The findings apply only to the community of Iere Village and cannot be generalized to all

rural communities across Trinidad and Tobago as the dynamics of small communities would

differ from location to location.

The researcher realizes that the methodology of the study has its shortcomings.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In minimizing the negative impacts of drug trafficking on the community of Iere Village,

Princes Town and on the residents of the village the following recommendations were made:

1. Counselling sessions should be set up for the drug users to help them fight their addiction

since if there are no buyers then the sellers would automatically be out of business. The

20
counselling sessions would take place on Saturday and Sunday from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Iere

Village Community Centre.

2. The government should implement higher fines and longer imprisonment time for

persons who sell drugs as well as for major crimes committed in the village due to drug

trafficking such as burglary and theft.

3. Community Police Officers should be placed to patrol the community five days a week

on a shift regime. Regular searches should also be done in the drug dealers’ homes to confiscate

their stocks of drugs.

4. A neighbourhood watch should be implemented so that villagers can patrol the area to

detect any criminal activity and also to identify and report any person who goes to buy drugs to

the police.

21
United Nations, (2015). Drug Trafficking. Retrieved January 5,
2015, from UNODC: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drug-
trafficking/

Tiggey May, (2005, November 8). Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Retrieved January 5, 2015, from Understanding Drug Selling in
Local Communities:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/understanding-drug-selling-local-
communities

Uday Dabir, (2010, February). National Drug Threat Assessment

2010. Retrieved January 7, 2015, from Impact of Drugs on
Society:
http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs38/38661/drugImpact.htm

Haifa Mezoui, (2012, June 26). Drug Abuse, Drug Trafficking and
Organised Crime. Retrieved January 7, 2015, from General
Assembly of the United Nations:
http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/66/Issues/drugs/drugs-
crime.shtml

Yale Oxley, (2012). How Has Drug Trafficking Affected My

Community? Retrieved January 7, 2015, from Voices of Youth:
http://www.voicesofyouth.org/posts/how-has-drug-trafficking-
affected-my-community

Andre Bagoo, (2009). Impact of the Drug Trade on the

Community. Retrieved January 5, 2015, from National Drug
Council of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago:
http://nationalsecurity.gov.tt/ndc/Research/ImpactofDrugTradeont
heCommunity/tabid/225/Default.aspx

22

APPENDIX 1

My name is Geeta Sarah Seunarine and I am a sixth form student of Cowen Hamilton Secondary

School. I am carrying out an investigation on the ‘Impacts of Drug Trafficking on the

Community of Iere Village, Princes Town’ for my Caribbean Studies Internal Assessment. The

information you provide on the questionnaire would be kept in the strictest confidence. Thank

you!

Please Tick the appropriate box and fill out the lines provided.

1. Gender: Male Female

2. Age: Under 20 21 – 30 31 – 40

41 – 50 Over 50

3. How long have you been living in Iere Village, Princes Town? _____________________

4. Are you aware of the drug trafficking problem in the community?

Yes No

5. To your knowledge, when exactly did the selling of drugs begin in the community?

0 – 6 months 6 months – 1 year

 1 year – 5 years 5 years and over

6. What is the biggest impact that drug trafficking has had on the community?

There is an increased presence of police in the area.

There is an increased presence of criminals in the area.

23

There is increased violence and crime in the area.

There is an increased distribution of goods (grocery items, furniture, clothes etc.) to

certain poor families in the area.

7. What is the major effect of drug trafficking on the residents of Iere Village?

Feeling of insecurity at and around home

Escalating desire to leave the village

Your children are now involved or negatively affected by the selling of drugs in your

community

No impact in your life

8. What is the main effect that drug trafficking has had on the youths of Iere Village?

Some young people/teenagers are now doing drugs

Youths are associating themselves with bad company e.g. the drug dealers, addicts and

anyone in relation to the drug world

They are dropping out of school due to their involvement in drugs

They are now involved with the drug dealers and are helping them sell drugs for a quick

buck

9. What is the strongest economic impact that selling drugs has had on the community?

Cheap goods are now circulating through the community to certain families related to the

dealers
 Loss of business as customers, clients etc. are afraid of entering the community

Residents are now spending a lot of money to safeguard their homes from bandits

Other

24

If other was selected, please state below:

________________________________________________________________________

10. What is the most prominent crime occurring in the community that was caused by drug

trafficking?

Burglary Trespassing Robbery/Theft

Murder Kidnapping Other

11. What are the social impacts of selling drugs in the community?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

12. How do you feel about the drug trafficking problem in the village?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

13. Are you afraid of reporting the drug dealers to the police? Why?

Yes No

Reason: _________________________________________________________________

14. What do you assume is the main reason for the drug dealers to choose Iere Village to sell

drugs?

No police force in the area

Dealer migrated to this community due to conflict in previous turf with other dealers
 Knowledge of the local addicts in the area

Dealers want to make easy money to help family on poverty

15. To your knowledge what types of drugs are being sold by the drug dealers?

25

Marijuana Cocaine Heroin Other

16. To the best of your knowledge, what type of people do you see entering the community

to purchase drugs?

Youths/Teenagers Felons/Criminals

Homeless People Educated, Employed People

Uneducated People Other

If other was selected, please state below:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

17. Do residents from the community buy drugs from the local dealers?

Yes No

18. What have you done to improve the safety in and around your home?

Installed CCTV cameras around the house

Installed burglar proof doors and windows

Installed barbed wire fencing

Other

If other was selected, please state below:

________________________________________________________________________

19. Do you think the police are doing enough to stop drug trafficking in Iere Village?
 Yes No

20. Do you think the policies based exclusively on punishing those who sell drugs are

effective?

26

Yes No

21. What do you think the government can do to curb the issue of drug trafficking in the

community?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

22. What can the community members do to help eradicate drug trafficking from Iere

Village?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
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