The government of Trinidad and Tobago gave its police the authority to search and arrest for up to 48 hours without a warrant, citing an increased risk of mass violence.
“The circumstances requiring the declaration of a public emergency are based on an advisory from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to the National Security Council of increased criminal activity that threatens public safety,” Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s office said in a statement released Monday. “Puts it in.” ,
This comes after local media reports that an attempt was made on Saturday to assassinate a gang leader as he was leaving a police station. The name of the gang leader was not released, and there were additional reports of five people being shot dead in retaliation the next day.
Government announces anti-gang action
Officials told a news conference in the capital Port of Spain that the island nation would use the state of emergency to launch an anti-gang crackdown.
Energy Minister Stuart Young, who also holds a role in the Prime Minister’s Office, told a press conference that Defense Forces would become de facto police officers and would also have the power to search without a warrant.
Bail will be suspended and it will be possible for him to be detained without charge for two days or with court approval for another seven days, Young said.
However, the government also said it was not issuing a curfew or restricting the movement of people to mitigate the economic impact from the announcement.
Continued high homicide rates and record 2024 figures
Trinidad and Tobago, with a population of about 1.4 million, recorded 61 murders in December, bringing the annual total to 623, Young said. This is an increase from 577 in 2023 and 599 in 2022.
Per capita, that puts the country well ahead of Mexico and roughly in line with murder rates in gang-plagued Haiti or within reach of South Africa and Jamaica, perennial leaders in the region. These rates are around or above 40 murders per 100,000 people per year, compared to less than 6 in the United States and less than 1 per 100,000 people in much of Europe.
msh/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)