TRINIDAD: Parliament gives nod to extension of state of emergency

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Loop News– The State of Emergency (SoE) has been extended by three months.

The declaration was made on Monday night in the Parliament after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley raised the motion and it was debated by both government members and the opposition.

The SoE was announced on December 30 after the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service advised the government that they had received credible information about the possibility of reprisal killings following a mass shooting that took place in Laventille that weekend.

The SoE was initially declared for 15 days–the maximum amount of days allowed before it required Parliament approval. 

In his contribution to the debate in the Parliament earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Rowley made it clear that despite the declaration of the SoE, the government has not restricted the actions of law-abiding citizens.

“Detention of persons would be based on police information about the risk and the threat and the behaviour of citizens who threaten the society’s safety and security.

The law is well written, no government can use a State of Emergency to shut down the rights of citizens indefinitely,” he said.

On his basis for the extension, Rowley added:

 “We’re taking note of the fact that the President (Christine Kangaloo) has been convinced by the government that gang warfare has been imminent.

Gang warfare action had been taken, and retaliation was the expected action…more deaths, more mayhem was to be expected, and therefore, governmental authority had to intervene, if not to bring sobriety, but to bring some element of increased and improved law enforcement to the lawless.”

Meantime, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds noted that to date, the SoE has bore significant results. He said for 2025 so far, the country has recorded 12 murders, a 50 per cent reduction compared to the same period last year.

“This State of Emergency is doing well for us. There has been an 83 per cent drop in shootings and woundings; 23 year to date in 2024, year to date in 2025…only four.

There has been a 75 per cent drop in robberies; year to date in 2024, it would have been 67 and year to date today, it’s only 17…50 robberies less.

In terms of larceny of motor vehicles, (there has been) a 59 per cent drop; 27 year to date in 2024 and 11 in 2025,” Hinds said,

The minister added that the TTPS also has approximately 137 persons in custody from a group of more than 500 who were initially held during SoE operations.  

He said in addition, that the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force is out in full patrol in several communities throughout the country and “in a matter of days” citizens can expect to see increased patrols “for reasons that I must now hold to myself.”

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