Although the current State of Emergency has helped to decrease crime, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro is insisting that it was not implemented to address the homicide rate.
Commissioner Guevarro said from January 1st to August 4th 2025, there were 231 recorded murders – a significant decrease from 2024.
“And when compared to 2024, it is a 35.8% decrease.”
This, he said, has led to some people questioning the reduction in criminal activity.
“So there are some persons in society who seem upset that there is a reduction in the homicide rates at this point in time, and there are some who are actually saying that there were other reasons for the drastic reduction in homicide rates in 2021 and 2022, other than the SOE, but I will leave that there.”
However, he noted that while the State of Emergency has helped to decrease crime and murders by extension, that was not the core mandate.
“That the current State of Emergency was not implemented to address homicide rates, but rather it was in response to a specific and credible threat to national security. Nonetheless, the data suggests that the heightened vigilance and intensified enforcement operations under this SOE may be contributing to a reduction in violent crime.”
Commissioner Guevarro added that police were also successful in “neutralising” an extortion ring, even as early as July.
“In July, our teams neutralised an extortion ring targeting construction firms in the Central region. These criminal elements had begun to disrupt multi-million dollar developments, threatening jobs and investor confidence.”
The Police Commissioner also chastised some for criticising the deployment of K9 and tactical officers at the Piarco International Airport.
“I must say it is working. Any airport internationally that you visit, as you step out, the first thing you will see is a police vehicle to give persons that reassurance. Why it is they upset that we have here? We don’t want to have that international standard here? Do we want to be that backward banana republic? No, we want to go forward.”
The Commissioner also responded to recent police-involved shootings: “There is now public debate about police-involved shootings and the public debate about some people calling it extrajudicial killings. I want to assure the public here today that the TTPS has always and shall continue under my watch, be able to independently investigate its own, and if wrongdoing is found, prosecute those who have been found to be doing wrong. We are also ably assisted by the Police Complaints Authority, which is an independent oversight body.”
He again sent a warning to criminal elements to put down their guns and hand them over to the police.
“Some of your colleagues in crime have already called police stations and told police officers where to find these weapons. Take heed and do not be the last in line.”