Police officers’ fear of crime: an analysis of interviews with officers in Trinidad and Tobago

Research on fear of crime usually examines perceptions of civilians. Little has been said about police officers as victims of crime, particularly in developing countries in the Global South, despite their occupational high risk of victimization. The current study is an analysis of qualitative interview data collected from twelve male senior police officers in Trinidad and Tobago, with a focus on how they are affected by crime and navigate their roles as officers. The goal here is to contribute to Southern criminological dialogue about subjective appraisals of and reactions to crime by emphasizing the experiences of civil servants mandated to address crime problems in a post-colonial developing country context. Analyses found that officers perceived that they and their family members were at high risk of criminal victimization, were significantly worried or fearful about themselves or family members becoming victimized, and often engaged in avoidance behavioural strategies to reduce risk of victimization. Implications of the findings for policing and future research are discussed