THE escalation of the murder rate has senior police baffled.

With last year’s murder rate ended at a record breaking 380, Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul announced a crime plan to slow it down in 2006.

Instead, the year started off with a bang with between two and four murders a day, causing the authorities to go back to the drawing board.

Andre Nicholas Bynoe, alias “Baldhead” kicked off the murder chart as the first murder victim for the year.

He was 35 years and hailed form 25th Street Beetham Gardens.

No arrest has yet been made and his death was deemed gang-related by the police.

On January 2, the police had two more murders to deal with as Helmut Daniel, age 48, of Jones Trace Diego Martin and Marvin Ragguette, 27, of Jackson Hill, East Dry River were killed.

Daniel was shot dead at his home after a domestic argument, while Raguette was executed at his home, gang-style.

On January 3, two more were added to the list when ex-convict Dwayne Dunbar alias “Peng”, 30, of Building 74-76 Nelson Street Port of Spain, was shot dead while liming with friends at the corner of Prince and Nelson Street, Port of Spain.

And Anthony Clement alias “Belch”, 35, of Woods Alley, Morvant was shot dead after collecting ‘whe whe’ winnings at Gofor Trace, near Pitch Road Morvant.

Again his death was deemed gang-related.

On January 4 there was one murder on January 5, there were two murders and the list went on as two and three bodies dropped everyday for the month of January alone.

By the end of the first month of the year, there were 38 murders.

February started off hot with a murder on the first.

This time Emily Gould of Sundrees Road Penal was strangled to death at her home.

The month also ended with a bang with four murders on the 27th.

Larry Jones, 26, of Chrisse Terrace, Chaguanas, was stabbed after a quarrel with someone walking near the Chaguanas market.

Khada Predie, 28, of Enterprise Village, was shot dead after a quarrel while standing near Busy Corner, Chaguanas.

Jerome Watson, 20, of Water Wheel Road, Diego Martin was shot dead.

His body was found slumped in a car at Savannah Road, Diego Martin -- another gang-related murder.

Mark Mc Intosh, 20, of Blue Basin Road, Diego Martin was shot to death. His bullet-riddled body was found in a drain at Patna Village Diego Martin.

February ended with 20 murders, bringing the year’s aggregate to 57.

The second day of March had its first murder when Geddes Adams, 46, of Fuller Street Extension Road was shot to death. His death was considered a revenge killing linked to the murder of Mark Mc Intosh.

March was the bloodiest, with 45 murders in 31 days. There were seven between March 6 and 7 alone while March 11, 12 and 13 yielded three each.

There were seven more between March 21 and 22, all gang-related.

By the end of March the murder rate stood at 103 in 90 days.

April, up to Press time, has seen nine murders in six days.

Port of Spain Division leads the list of murders, while Western Division follows closely.

The least murders took place in the Northern Division.

Secretary of the Police Welfare Association, Sgt. Noel Chase, said that senior police are fully aware that the crime situation is on the up. He added that a lot of factors contribute to the crime situation.

“We cannot be blaming one another,” he told this newspaper.

“Stop blaming the police and government,” he added.

“Blame is not the answer, because a lot of factors contribute to the crime situation.”

He added that witness intimidation and the slow judicial system, are some of the contributing factors.

“The police remain committed and are still calling on the public to lend their full support.

“This is not a quick-fix situation,” ended Chase.