The State of Emergency has been extended for a further three months.
The Motion to Extend the State of Emergency for a further three months was passed on Friday evening, with 27 Government Members voting in favour, and 12 Opposition Members against.
The three-month extension will take the State of Emergency to January 31st, 2026.
Leading the Motion in the Lower House to extend the current State of Emergency for another three months, Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, argued that the move was not a substitute for a crime plan, but a necessary emergency response to an “imminent threat.”
He pointed out that it would be counterproductive to end the SOE now.
“The TTPS and the Minister of Homeland Security have advised that several critical operations are in train now, and that these enhanced powers under the SOE are necessary for the completion and consolidation of their efforts towards dismantling the gangs, the criminal networks, and keeping the country safe at this time.”
The Attorney General mentioned that there have been “significant gains” as a direct outcome of the emergency measures, which commenced in July, leading to 285 murders up to October 2025, representing a 45% reduction from 2024 figures.
“August of 2025 registered 22 murders, the lowest monthly total recorded in a decade. In September of 2025, that trajectory was continued.”
AG Jeremie noted that during the initial SOE, there had been over 7,000 police operations, over 3,000 people arrested, and close to 200 firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition seized.
Minister of Land and Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein said those statistics were enough justification for an SOE extension.
“When you check Ecstasy and Molly, Mr. Speaker, there were about 1,047 pills that were found by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. What’s wrong with that? That is enough justification, Mr. Speaker, that the Police Service is doing good. The law enforcement are doing better, and we must give them that extra power to do better, Mr. Speaker.”
He defended the Government’s actions and insisted that the SOE has not infringed on the rights of ordinary citizens.
“The only war we have declared is a war against corrupt public officials. We have declared war on narco-traffickers, Mr. Speaker. There’s been a State of Public Emergency since July this year. The only persons’ lives that are affected are the criminals and the gangs. Not the ordinary citizen, people going about their business as usual. In fact, my friends opposite are having public meetings as usual. The SOE is not affecting them.”
Responding to criticism that the State of Emergency was being used as a substitute for a crime plan, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Sean Sobers clarified the original intent behind the measure.
“We’ve never said Mr. Speaker that the SOE would be a crime suppression tool. The fact that crime is being suppressed by the SOE, it’s a positive symptom of the SOE. But it wasn’t the spirit or intent of bringing the SOE. Nobody has said that.”
Member of Parliament for Port of Spain North/St. Ann’s West, Stuart Young, argued that Government had failed to provide any data linking arrests to the alleged plot that triggered the original SOE.
“The whole calling of the State of Emergency initially was to deal with gangs, criminal activity, and we’ve heard it again confirmed this afternoon, in particular coming out of the prison system, how many charges have been laid, the country needs to know, under the State of Emergency, under the Anti-Gang legislation.”