By Sue-Ann Wayow

PRISONERS who are actively communicating with persons outside prison have been moved to a location where communication is now limited.

Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro without revealing how many were removed from the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca said, “They are safely incarcerated in a place where communication is now limited.”

Fielding questions from the media at a press conference on Friday morning to further discuss the State of Emergency (SoE) declared just after midnight on Friday morning, Guevarro admitted that some law enforcement officers were enablers to the criminal activity.

With no sleep for 28 hours straight, he asked reporters to bear with him.

When asked if  there were members of the national security service that were part of plots from within the prisons, he replied, “If I was to answer that question, and tell you no, I would be lying to you and members of the public.”

Guevarro asked, “How else would Ms (Suzette) Martin and her team almost on a weekly basis be finding phones inside of the same cells?”

He said, “There are persons who seem hell bent on facilitating the communication of these persons  with the outside. By removing them from that environment and placing them in one when they are a lot more secure and you can feel rest assured that that communication is broken.”

Guevarro explained why removing the individuals was not enough and an SoE had to be declared.

“There are a group of criminals in our society, some of them behind bars and some of them on the outside formed themselves in an amalgamated unit of an organised crime syndicate and intent on wreaking havoc on the good citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”

He also said lots of money was involved hence kidnapping, home invasions, state contracts and the reason was one – to get more guns.

Though there is no curfew in effect, it means as with SoE’s law enforcement officers can enter premises without search warrants.

And with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force being called out, army officers will also have powers of arrest.

“That is one of the key things we need to take in consideration in particular with this state of emergency and the reason why it was asked for,” Guevarro said.

He added, “I want the good citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to enjoy their lifestyle without placing any undue sort of strain on them with regards of how they live. We love to party and we love to socialize…The persons who have to be concerned are the criminals.”

The CoP also said was not going to presume or anticipate that police officers will abuse the SoE powers and abuse citizens and if there were any reports of such, he will deal with it accordingly.

“Fear not, good citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,” Guevarro said.

He said over a few months, bits of intelligence were being discovered by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) but on Thursday evening, he became aware of a particular intelligence that prompted an emergency National Security Council meeting.

When asked what assurance can he give if after the SoE the situation remained unchanged with respect to communication devices being smuggled into prisons, Guevarro said individual institutions should put measures in place to deal with such or if not, the TTPS would step in.

He piqued, “When I went to the prison this morning, it has plenty, plenty room.”

Having received the declared proclamation by President Christine Kangaloo at 12.02 am, police officers immediately started coveting operations throughout the country with Guevarro visiting key areas, he said he cannot give a “sunset date” on the SoE which he said was proactive and not reactive.

He also said Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander was “absolutely correct” when he said there was no uptick in crime  during a post Cabinet media briefing held mere hours before the declaration of the SoE.

“Crime statistics are actually lower than last year and the year before,” Guevarro said.

“I would urge Trinidad and Tobago to work alongside the TTPS in bringing this to some successful closure,” the CoP  advised.