Street crime, specifically drug related offenses, has substantially increased in Trinidad and Tobago. Between 1991 and 1995, the total volume of cocaine seized by the nation's Narcotics Bureau increased by 3,748 pounds (McCree 1998). As contemporary society transitions to an era of globalization, it is imperative that a thorough understanding of violence in various parts of the world be obtained. A comprehensive understanding of violence in Trinidad and Tobago is however limited by research centered exclusively on the offender and studies implementing theoretical frameworks potentially inapplicable to the British West Indies (Bennett 1996; Cain 2000). This paper presents initial findings from a study investigating neighborhood violence in Trinidad and Tobago. It implements semi-structured in-depth interviews with community members and photographs of manifestations of neighborhood problems to explore residents' encounters with violence and local perceptions about the roots of violence. The objective of this project is to add to criminological literature by exploring the sources of violence in an under-researched region of the world; presenting Trinidad and Tobago's citizens' encounters with and perceptions of violence; and determining if North American and European theories of violence are applicable to developing nations.