Trinidad and Tobago declares state of emergency amid surge in gang violence

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, announced that the country has been placed under a state of emergency (SOE) effective Tuesday, March 3. The decision comes after authorities reported credible evidence linking criminal gangs and former detainees to a recent spike in violent crime.

In a statement, Persad-Bissessar said that following a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Monday, she had requested President Christine Kangaloo to declare the SOE.

The prime minister described the measure as consistent with the Government’s zero-tolerance stance on crime and criminal gangs, “as demonstrated by numerous successful, strategic operations conducted by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the armed forces over the last 10 months, legislation introduced in Parliament to empower and protect law-abiding citizens, and ongoing reforms to the criminal justice system.”

Persad-Bissessar noted that following the end of the previous state of emergency on January 31, 2026, “there has been an increase in violent criminal activity across the country, most of which has been carried out by members of organised criminal gangs.”

The NSC highlighted that several of these acts of criminality have resulted in multiple deaths from mass shootings and warned that ongoing reprisal attacks among gangs, if unchecked, would endanger public safety.

During Monday’s meeting, security briefings were received from Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, Chief of Defence Staff Don Polo, and Head of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Alicia Henry.

“The NSC was informed that intelligence recently gathered indicates credible threats to attack police officers, prison officers and other members of the security and legal services,” the prime minister said.

Persad-Bissessar added, “I had previously warned the criminal gangs and detainees released from prison that decent law-abiding citizens are fed up with their criminality, and if they cannot behave themselves, I would have no hesitation in having another SOE declared.”

She also warned that violent gang members would be returned straight to prison, “and this time, their friends and family who aid their criminality would accompany them. I reiterate my words that if criminals want to terrorise law-abiding citizens and their families, I will do everything legally possible to terrorise criminals and those who aid and abet them.”

The prime minister emphasised that the Government will continue to use all available resources to ensure that previous gains in reducing murder rates and violent crime are not undermined by those seeking to inflict “death, hardship and torment on people.”

In December 2024, the then-Keith Rowley administration announced an SOE that remained in effect until January 31, 2026, with Persad-Bissessar’s administration extending the measure upon taking office in April last year.

Earlier this year, the Government’s attempt to introduce the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026—commonly known as ZOSO—failed after the Senate did not approve it, with the Government unable to secure the necessary support from independent senators.

The proposed law would have allowed law enforcement and the defence force to operate in designated “hotspot” areas with enhanced powers, including search and seizure without warrants and the implementation of curfews.