PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Apr 14, CMC – The 105 day old state of emergency (SoE) ended at midnight on Sunday with the police indicating that the situation that led to the measure being put in place last December had been averted.
Hour before the SoE ended, 39 detainees were released from the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) at Golden Grove and the Eastern Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC) in Santa Rosa, east of here.
Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin said the threat that led to the government calling the state of emergency (SOE) in December has been averted even as he acknowledged “there will always be the lingering presence of people who would want to threaten the security of Trinidad and Tobago
“But because of the strategies that we have put in place during the SoE, we have been able to foil these plans. The threat has been averted, but we are very much cautious, and we will continue to operate as though the threat exists.
“If we give them the opportunity, the gangs will come back in full force. So we are continuing to be very diligent and vigilant in what we are doing, and we are going to be even more meticulous in what we are going to be doing in terms of our operations,” Benjamin said.
National Security Minister Marvin Gonzales said that the police and other arms of national security are working hand in hand to ensure that the security of the state.
“Law enforcement agencies are very much aware of the possibility of a spike in criminal activities as we come out of the SoE. That is why we have pledged to continue collaboration to monitor what is taking place and to ramp up the operations of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
“We are speaking to our lawyers, we are looking at the legal framework we now have to operate, and we will use all the avenues in Trinidad and Tobago,” he added.
On December 30, 2024, the then Keith Rowley government declared a nationwide SoE following six killings in the Port of Spain Division in one weekend..
Police said that more gang-related reprisal attacks, involving the use of high-calibre weapons, were likely and with then national security minister, Stuart Young, indicating that “based on the intelligence provided to us by the Police Service…criminal gangs, via the use of high-powered assault weapons and other illegal firearms… are likely to immediately increase their brazen acts of violence in reprisal shootings on a scale so extensive that it threatens persons and will endanger public safety”.
The government did not include a curfew or other regulations in the SoE that had been extended once.
Benjamin said that the security forces were anticipating the end of the SoE, saying “we knew that the SoE would not last forever, so from the very beginning we were working toward that, to ensure that after the SoE we would have been in a more advanced and prepared state.”
“Some people, I think, are waiting to see if we will stop. We are not going to stop, we are going to intensify. You are going to see a more robust approach. We have anticipated what is about to happen, and we have put things in place. It is going to be a new normal and not the normal normal.”
Benjamin said the murder toll now stands at 112, down from 160 for the same period last year.
“Our goal is to have at least a 10 per cent reduction as compared to last year. That is about 62 murders fewer. And we are already at 48, so we are heading in the right direction,” Benjamin said, adding that the police plan to have more targeted operations focusing on gangs and criminal activity.
Gonzales said the SoE saw significant results, but the most pivotal was that there is now a deeper collaboration and stronger relationship between law enforcement agencies.
“Law enforcement agencies have reported that there is closer collaboration between various arms of intelligence agencies, which has led to successful executions of some of these police operations. It showed them why there needs to be continuous collaboration between the various arms of national security,” he said.
Gonzales said 20 people were detained through preventative detention orders, and close to 200 firearms were seized along with ammunition.
“We have to look at the data. The data is saying the rate of murders has declined by about 30 per cent compared to statistics from last year. Other serious crimes have seen a similar reduction, between 30 and 40 per cent.
“You have seen a ramp-up of police activities, operations and exercises. You are seeing a confiscation of large volumes of illicit drugs during that time. Given the fact that it was easier for officers to get search warrants to execute search warrants as part of their exercises, you would have seen a reduction as a result of these activities.”
During the SoE, woundings and shootings declined from 206 incidents to 137; robberies dropped from 708 to 433; property crimes decreased from 1,261 last year to 959 in 2025; larceny of motor vehicles fell from 324 cases to 179.
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Curt Simon, said t50 people had been detained under preventive detention orders (PDOs) during the SoE and that the police are in the process of charging 14 of them.
Meanwhile, 39 detainees were released on Sunday, with 11 others remaining in custody as they are now facing criminal charges.
Those released were greeted with smiles and hugs from loved ones waiting for them
In a brief statement following the release of the detainees, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence and Investigations, Suzette Martin, warned persons against seeking to disrupt the peace.
She said that the objective of the SoE had been “to restore order, ensure public safety, and protect the rights and well-being of every law-abiding citizen”.
She said that to the 11 persons facing charges, an additional four persons would be charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, gang-related offences, attempted murder and other offences.
“These charges reflect the continued commitment of the TTPS to uphold the law and send a clear message to those intent on disrupting peace and stability — we will not tolerate criminality in any form.
“Let me be clear: the declaration of a State of Emergency was not taken lightly. It is a tool used to address extreme threats to public safety. The arrests and subsequent charges demonstrate the effectiveness of our operations and the seriousness of the situation we are facing.”
Martin thanked the population for their support during the SoE saying “your support and cooperation are vital.
“We urge you to continue to report suspicious activities and abide by the laws of the Trinidad and Tobago. Together, we will overcome this challenging period and making every place in Trinidad and Tobago safe.”
CMC/aj/ir/2025