By Alicia Chamely

FRIDAY’s declaration of a State of Emergency (SoE) is being met with mixed views from the public.

However, one thing all sides are saying is for the SoE to be successful a curfew needs to be implemented.

The declaration of a SoE was signed by President Christine Kangaloo on Friday morning on the recommendation of the National Security Council after being called by Commissioner of Police Allistar Guevarro, late Thursday night.

At a press briefing on Friday morning Guevarro stated the SOE was decided upon after he received a report on Thursday afternoon of an “organised crime syndicate” working internally and externally from the Arouca Golden Grove Prison.

Guevarro shared that intel indicated that this syndicate had been planning assassinations, kidnappings and robberies.

The SoE will last for 15 days, before it has to be taken to parliament for a request for extension.

 

Guevarro could not say whether Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s (TTPS) operations would exceed those 15 days.

News of the SiE stirred mixed reactions from members of the public who sought to share their opinions on various social media sites.

Many expressed their opinion that an SoE did not need to be called, but rather the issue of cell phones and alleged corruption within the prison system needed to be addressed.

 

One person shared via Facebook, “What’s new? Cell phones smuggled in, crime bosses controlling gangs remotely. Hear these same stories over many decades!”

Another said, “Allow the hench men to make their calls from prison but have no monitoring systems to reveal who on the outside planning the terror?”

Over on TikTok a user said, “What if anything have all state of emergencies achieve? Who is it really profiting not the country.”

One person said, “SoE nah fix that, proper accountable prison management will. Prisoners don’t manage themselves.”

Another user on TikTok supported the call saying, “This country needs to let justice be done. Time to out an end to all these that people that get taxpayers minding in the jail. Get rid of them because they are comfortable in jail and running their businesses from the inside under protection.”

 

On Facebook, another call for support read, “I wish the Police Service the best with this operation.”

 With another adding, “Any measures taken and that is required to curb this crime surge are most welcome.”

Many though, both in objection and in support, voiced their opinions that for the SoE to be successful a curfew needed to be implemented.

A question posed online asked whether the public supported the SoE. While reactions ranged from political to sceptical, there was a trending theme of the need for a curfew.

One commenter said, “Giving police emergency powers without any form of curfew of restriction of movements will hardly have an effect on the crime situation. Spinning top in mud.”

Another took a jab at the government saying, “Calling a SoE with no curfew after bad talking the SOE PNM called with curfew is DIABOLICAL.”

A user on TikTok said, “A state of emergency needs a curfew to help take the crime rate down.”

Another TikTok user said, “The state of emergency without a curfew makes no sense.

 

Both Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney John Jeremie, SC, said the government was left with no choice but to call a SOE after the severity of the information they received.

No curfew had been put into order and the daily lives of citizens was expected to be mostly undisturbed.