Attorney General John Jeremy says government had “no choice” but to declare a news State of Emergency following a recent surge in violent gang activity.
Speaking at a media conference on Tuesday, Mr Jeremy said the Prime Minister advised President Christine Kangaloo to invoke the constitutional provisions to declare the State of Emergency after being briefed by the National Security Council and the Commissioner of Police.
He said intelligence reports revealed escalating violence, including multiple murders and shootings, as well as threats originating from within the prison system.
Mr Jeremie described the situation as an organized criminal assault that posed a serious danger to citizens and the rule of law, and he vowed never to allow the country to descend into “chaos” and “bloodshed.”
“This government is determined to never allow this country to deteriorate into the state of chaos and bloodshed we met in May of 2025, when we took office. We shall never accept the slow dangerous surrender to the criminal gangs in our midst,” Mr Jeremie said.
“There are examples in the region of territories that have allowed that. Trinidad and Tobago’s fate will be different.”
The Attorney General pointed to the previous State of Emergency between July 2025 and January 31, 2026, noting that serious crimes dropped to their lowest level in years due to intelligence-led operations by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Defence Force.
Mr Jeremie said strategic, targeted operations are already underway and will continue alongside longer-term measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks.
He assured the public that the government remains committed to a zero-tolerance approach to gun-crime and will provide updates as the emergency continues
