On the eve of Trinidad and Tobago’s 64th Independence anniversary, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivered a stirring tribute to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and all national law enforcement agencies, celebrating their landmark success in reversing a years-long surge in violent crime and saving hundreds of civilian lives. The address came during a special reception hosted by Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro at Port of Spain’s Police Administration Building, a venue that brought together senior law enforcement officials and political leaders to mark the national holiday.
Persad-Bissessar opened her remarks by emphasizing that coordinated law enforcement action has pulled the nation out of the crippling grip of unprecedented violent crime that reached a peak with a historic high of 629 murders in a single year. Citing newly compiled crime statistics, she confirmed that national homicide rates have dropped to their lowest level since 2011, with all major categories of violent and property crime including murders, shootings, non-fatal woundings and robberies showing sharp downward trends in 2025. Most notably, official data shows a 42% overall reduction in murders compared to 2024. Between January 2025 and the date of the address, the country has recorded 400 fewer homicides than pre-existing projections predicted – a difference that translates directly to more than 400 citizens alive today because of targeted police intervention.
Quoting the well-known observation that “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf,” Persad-Bissessar noted that when Guevarro was appointed to lead the TTPS, the government and public gave him and his force a clear mandate to reverse the country’s crime crisis. The now-visible results, she said, prove that the TTPS’s current crime-fighting strategies are working, and that the service is steadily regaining full control of public safety across the country. Beyond violent crime, she added, road traffic safety has also seen dramatic improvement: fatal road accidents have dropped by 31%, serious injuries by 35%, minor injuries by 33%, and total accidents are running roughly 42% lower than previous years.
Beyond the positive statistical progress, the Prime Minister stressed that numbers alone cannot capture the profound personal sacrifices made by frontline police officers and their families. Unlike civilians who naturally flee from danger, Persad-Bissessar pointed out, police officers run toward threats to protect people who will often never even know the name of the person who saved their life. Officers routinely put their own lives at risk, and some make the ultimate sacrifice while on duty. Behind every serving officer, she added, is a family that lives with constant uncertainty, carrying the emotional weight of waiting to see if their loved one will return home safely after a shift. Officers regularly give up family time, holidays, weekends, birthdays, and anniversaries so that ordinary citizens can celebrate those moments without fear. They also carry the lasting psychological and physical toll of repeatedly witnessing violence, trauma, and human suffering.
Persad-Bissessar also acknowledged that recent challenges including a national State of Emergency, a wave of unsolved bomb threats, and ongoing staffing shortages have placed extraordinary additional strain on the TTPS, forcing widespread cancellation of days off and requiring officers to work long, exhausting shifts. She then came out strongly in defense of the service against critics, urging officers not to be demoralized by unfair attacks from people who have never faced the dangers of frontline law enforcement. She noted that critics who spread unwarranted criticism, misinformation, and abuse are often the same people who flee from danger at the first sign of risk, and expect others to uphold moral standards they themselves refuse to follow. “Ignore them; they can never step in your shoes to fulfil your roles,” she told officers. “When faced with abuse and denigration from those who don’t appreciate you, always remember I respect you, I appreciate you, and I love you.”
She closed her formal remarks by confirming that her administration offers unwavering, unequivocal support to Guevarro and the entire TTPS as they continue their work to reduce crime. Speaking to reporters after the reception, Persad-Bissessar outlined next steps for strengthening law enforcement across the country. She confirmed that Parliament will soon reopen, and new anti-crime legislation is already in the pipeline. Ongoing recruitment drives across all protective services have already increased the number of frontline officers deployed across the country, and new community police posts will be opened and operationalized in the near future. The Prime Minister explained that the government is taking time to ensure all infrastructure at the new posts is fully functional before opening, so that residents will not face basic service issues like interrupted water or power once the facilities launch.