标签： Trinidad and Tobago

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has unveiled a landmark plan to expand the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), raising the force’s authorized manpower ceiling from 7,884 officers to 10,200 in a bid to bolster on-the-ground law enforcement capacity across the twin-island nation.

Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander announced the Cabinet-endorsed initiative during a parliamentary address Tuesday, outlining that the expansion will roll out as a phased five-year recruitment drive. Under the approved timeline, 600 new recruits will join the force in both the first and second years of the program, followed by 372 new hires annually for the final three years. Parallel to recruitment efforts, the TTPS will also upgrade its police academy infrastructure and expand training capacity to ensure that existing recruitment quality standards and operational professionalism are not compromised by the growth, Alexander confirmed.

The core objective of the manpower increase is to allow the TTPS to maintain a consistent nationwide operational presence of roughly 7,800 active officers – the minimum threshold security analysts identified as necessary to meet the demands of 21st-century policing and evolving national security threats. Currently, even with the full authorized strength of 7,884 officers, the force only has approximately 5,500 officers available for frontline deployment on any given day. This gap stems from officers being tied up in mandatory leave, training sessions, administrative tasks, court appearances, and specialized off-patrol assignments, meaning the TTPS has long been operating with a frontline force well below its official authorized size.

Alexander explained that decades of incremental expansion of specialized policing units to address new threats – including cybercrime, transnational organized crime, gang activity, financial crime, and corruption – have created structural staffing imbalances. Every time a new specialized unit was launched to respond to an emerging risk, no corresponding increase in overall authorized manpower was approved, forcing leadership to reassign officers from community patrol and frontline policing roles to fill these technical positions. This shift has left communities with fewer visible patrols, stretched thin the remaining frontline force, and created a crippling reliance on excessive overtime that leads to officer fatigue.

The new expansion initiative is designed to reverse this imbalance. It will allow the TTPS to fully staff specialized investigative and intelligence units while simultaneously rebuilding visible community policing across all regions of Trinidad and Tobago. Additional officers will deliver a range of operational improvements: increasing uniformed presence on neighborhood streets to deter criminal activity, speeding up response times to emergencies, violent incidents, and public safety threats, and boosting capacity across key priority areas including intelligence operations, cybercrime probes, gang suppression, financial investigations, anti-corruption enforcement, and community engagement.

More officers will also improve outreach to schools, local businesses, community organizations, and vulnerable populations, strengthening public trust in law enforcement and improving intelligence gathering efforts. For the force itself, the additional manpower will reduce the crippling overtime burden that has contributed to widespread operational fatigue, improving long-term workforce sustainability, officer effectiveness, and professional performance.

The expanded force will also enhance security at critical national infrastructure sites including ports and airports, and better position the TTPS to respond to large-scale national events, sudden spikes in criminal activity, natural disasters, states of emergency, and other national crises.

Calling the strengthening of the TTPS a matter of critical national importance, Alexander framed the plan as a core part of the government’s effort to modernize law enforcement’s operational structure to match evolving criminal threats. “Criminals have modernised, organised and expanded their operations. The State must therefore ensure that law enforcement is equally equipped, equally organised and sufficiently resourced to respond decisively,” he told parliament.

Responding to a question from Opposition Member of Parliament Marvin Gonzales, Alexander confirmed that the Cabinet’s decision followed a comprehensive manpower audit conducted in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Fresh security concerns are rippling across Trinidad and Tobago this week after the Attorney General confirmed that several government parliamentarians have been upgraded to enhanced protection levels, following a direct threat from an organized gang member. The disclosure, which was delivered to Parliament by Attorney General John Jeremie earlier this week, has been formally verified by Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, prompting sharp analysis from security experts and former law enforcement leaders over what the incident signals for national stability.

Regional security consultant Dr. Garvin Heerah, a former head of Trinidad and Tobago’s National Operations Centre, framed the threats as far more than an isolated security incident. In an interview with local outlet *Express* on Thursday, Heerah argued that this act represents a deliberate, direct challenge to the legitimacy of state authority, the country’s democratic foundations, and public trust in national governance.

Heerah emphasized that the incident demands urgent, serious attention, particularly against the current backdrop of surging violent crime in the Belmont neighborhood and a tense overall national security climate. He noted that the development lays bare a shifting dynamic among organized criminal groups: growing operational confidence and a more aggressive psychological posture that targets state institutions, rather than just rival gangs.

“When criminal actors are bold enough to threaten elected representatives and shape the national mood through fear, intimidation, and coercive communication, this moves far beyond typical gang rivalry or street-level violence,” Heerah explained. “It crosses into what can only be described as criminal encroachment on core state institutions.”

Heerah connected the timing of the threats to the country’s ongoing state of emergency, intensified anti-gang enforcement operations, and a string of high-profile violent attacks in Belmont, including a recent triple murder and multiple non-fatal shootings. He explained that criminal networks typically lash out aggressively when they face sustained pressure from law enforcement: when authorities are disrupting their financial assets, dismantling their territorial control, and gathering actionable intelligence on their operations. These aggressive responses, Heerah argued, are often symbolic acts designed to demonstrate that the group still retains power and the ability to carry out retaliation against the state.

“This issue cannot be viewed as just a series of isolated threats,” Heerah stressed. “It has to be understood within the broader framework of strategic criminal messaging. Criminal organizations rely heavily on public perception, and the fact that elected officials now need heightened protection sends a clear signal that these groups feel emboldened enough to challenge the state on a psychological level.”

From a regional perspective, Heerah classified the development as extremely serious, pointing to a clear pattern across Latin America and the Caribbean where transnational and local criminal groups evolve. What begins as illicit activity focused on drug trafficking and street violence often progresses into attempts to seize influence over governance structures, law enforcement policy, and even electoral outcomes. He named Mexico, Haiti, Colombia, Jamaica, and multiple Central American nations as examples where criminal organizations have systematically tested state authority by targeting politicians, judges, journalists, police officers, and trial witnesses with intimidation and violence.

“The lesson for Trinidad and Tobago is unambiguous: early recognition and decisive intervention are critical to containing this threat,” Heerah said. He warned that once criminal groups become convinced they can manipulate democratic systems through fear, intimidation, and strategic violence, the issue evolves from a routine law enforcement problem into a fundamental threat to national stability. Even so, Heerah urged against unnecessary public panic and media sensationalism, noting that authorities must strike a careful balance between transparency for the public and protecting the operational secrecy needed for intelligence gathering, threat assessment, and protective detail for elected leaders.

Former Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith, who described the public disclosure of the threats as an “alarming revelation”, offered a separate take on the incident. Griffith argued that the threats are proof that current government anti-crime initiatives are successfully disrupting criminal operations. Drawing on his own tenure as the nation’s top law enforcement officer, Griffith shared that he received 43 separate death threats during his time in office. “If I had seen a drop in death threats while I was serving, that would have been the thing to worry about — it would have meant I wasn’t doing my job to disrupt these groups,” he said.

Griffith explained that threats against senior officials are a clear sign that criminal networks are frustrated, because government and law enforcement actions are cutting into their illicit profits, disrupting their business models, and limiting their operational space. Rather than exiting the trade, he noted, criminal groups typically respond by trying to neutralize or eliminate the officials who are disrupting their activities.

While Griffith acknowledged that the threats themselves are concerning, he raised questions about the decision by Commissioner of Police Guevarro to approve the public disclosure of the information. He noted that while the Attorney General was simply following the approval granted to him to share the news with Parliament, senior police leaders need clearer judgment around what information should be made public and what should remain restricted on a need-to-know basis.

Throughout his tenure and in the years before and after, Griffith said there have been multiple plots targeting senior government and law enforcement figures. In each case, he said his approach was to either eliminate the threat or implement enhanced security measures quietly, without broadcasting sensitive details to the general public. “That is what the Commissioner of Police should have done in this case,” Griffith argued. He added that the public disclosure has already amplified nationwide fear and could cause lasting damage to Trinidad and Tobago’s international reputation as a stable, safe nation.

Trinidad and Tobago’s main opposition party, the People’s National Movement (PNM), has levelled serious accusations against the ruling United National Congress (UNC) administration, claiming the government is leveraging a newly created state-owned housing entity to funnel taxpayer funds to political campaign backers. The allegations were formally brought forward during a press briefing hosted at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Port of Spain by Malabar/Mausica Member of Parliament Dominic Romain.

At the heart of the controversy is LandmarkTT Properties Ltd, a special-purpose state enterprise incorporated in 2026 under the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs. The firm was established to roll out a new public-private partnership model for unsubsidized, premium residential development across the country. However, the entity is already facing scrutiny from the national procurement regulator over its handling of the $100 million Allamby Residential Development project slated for Corinth, San Fernando.

Romain pointed to ongoing questions around the project’s procurement process, noting that irregularities have already been flagged in the request for proposal phase. He claimed last-minute adjustments to bidding requirements put multiple competing contractors at an unfair disadvantage, while unsuccessful bidders have publicly raised concerns about a lack of transparency around the project’s scope and its $100 million price tag. Adding to the red flags, Romain noted that LandmarkTT’s official website remains incomplete even as the company has begun asking prospective homebuyers to join a so-called “priority access list” for its luxury properties. He also argued that the government’s broader approach of repurposing public land for private luxury development benefits connected private interests rather than addressing widespread affordable housing needs.

Drawing a parallel to a past controversial project under a previous UNC administration, Romain recalled the Victoria Keys development in Diego Martin, where eligibility criteria were relaxed to include higher-income applicants— a change that ultimately allowed party allies and financiers to access benefits, he claimed. He added that Land and Legal Affairs Minister Saddam Hosein has repeatedly dodged press inquiries about LandmarkTT and the Allamby project, leaving critical questions unanswered.

The allegations align with a formal inquiry launched by the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR). In correspondence dated April 20, the regulator wrote to LandmarkTT addressing complaints that the state enterprise bypassed mandatory open bidding in favor of a selective tendering process for the Allamby contract, a move that potentially violates the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act. The OPR warned that given the contract’s $100 million value, the risks of adverse financial and economic outcomes are significantly heightened, particularly for high-value, high-risk procurement where failure to secure value for public money has broad consequences. Romain also questioned the vetting and hiring process for senior leadership and staff at LandmarkTT, accusing the government of attempting to mislead the public about the entity’s true purpose.

In separate remarks at the same press briefing, Diego Martin West MP Hans des Vignes raised a separate set of concerns, warning that reduced state funding for sports, cultural, and youth programs could create conditions for a repeat of the notorious LifeSport corruption scandal that rocked previous administrations.

Romain closed by calling on all Trinidad and Tobago citizens to remain vigilant about how the UNC government manages national public assets, and to demand full transparency and accountability for all government procurement processes.

A sharp political dispute has erupted in Trinidad and Tobago over an alleged national security threat targeting parliamentarians, with the country’s main opposition accusing the ruling government of orchestrating a deliberate deception to pave the way for extending a national state of emergency.

Marvin Gonzales, Opposition Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for the Arouca/Lopinot constituency, laid out the opposition’s explosive claims during a press briefing held Monday at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in downtown Port of Spain. The accusation comes in direct response to comments Attorney General John Jeremie made during a Wednesday sitting of the House of Representatives, where he revealed a purported gang-related national security incident that occurred the prior Friday.

According to Jeremie’s official statement, delivered during debate on the 2026 Parole Bill, the threat originated from a gang member based in the Belmont community. The incident, he said, was severe enough to mandate stepped-up security protocols for the entire Parliament complex and additional personal protection for multiple high-ranking government officials. Jeremie noted his comments were authorized by the country’s top police official, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro.

When contacted for verification last Wednesday, Guevarro confirmed that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) had responded to a security incident requiring enhanced protective measures at Parliament and for a small cohort of government leaders. He emphasized the service acted out of an abundance of caution, following all established national security protocols. Citing legal and operational obligations related to national security, Guevarro declined to disclose further details about the incident, the police response, or the specific individuals impacted by the enhanced protections.

But Gonzales directly contradicted the official narrative, telling reporters that the day of the alleged incident was completely routine in Parliament, with no visible increase in law enforcement presence and no official notification to opposition lawmakers about any threat to their safety. He stated that opposition parliamentarians, including the Leader of the Opposition, received no briefings about security risks to the Red House (Trinidad and Tobago’s parliament building), its surrounding precincts, or the parliamentary chamber itself.

Gonzales pointed to only one unusual occurrence that Friday: ruling party parliamentarians departed the building far earlier than expected, ahead of a scheduled late-night sitting that had been anticipated given the day’s legislative agenda. He explained that the early exit was tied to a pre-planned event at the Diplomatic Center for a visiting Indian minister, not a sudden security emergency. Beyond that pre-scheduled commitment, he said, there were no deviations from normal security arrangements around the complex.

“No one informed us of any security concerns, or advised us to take extra precautions when moving outside the building — nothing of the sort happened,” Gonzales said. “That is why I maintain what the Attorney General announced is nothing more than a grand deception and a deliberate distraction.”

The opposition chief whip argued that Jeremie’s revelation was a calculated political move to build public support for extending the current state of emergency. He noted that neither Defence Minister Wayne Sturge nor Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander made any mention of a parliament threat during their remarks to the chamber that same Friday.

Gonzales accused the current government of repeatedly misleading the public about the justifications for implementing and maintaining a state of emergency, saying the administration has a consistent track record of falsehoods to keep the measure in place. “What happened this week, which made front-page headlines across the country yesterday, is the government, through the Attorney General, laying the groundwork to extend the state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago by way of lies and deception,” he added.

Trinidad and Tobago’s top law enforcement official has confirmed that a gang member from Belmont triggered a national security incident last Friday, prompting immediate upgrades to security protocols at the national Parliament and expanded personal protection for several senior government officials. The revelation came during parliamentary debate over the 2026 Parole Bill, delivered Monday by Attorney General John Jeremie, with official confirmation later provided by Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro in response to queries from local outlet the Express.

Jeremie told lawmakers that he received explicit authorization from the police commissioner to make the incident public. “I am authorised by the Commissioner of Police to say that last Friday, that a member of one of those gangs in that community sparked a national security incident, such that all of us in this Parliament were protected to a higher degree and certain officials in the Government were given additional protection,” Jeremie stated, noting he had confirmed the disclosure directly with Guevarro ahead of his remarks. Neither official has released further details on the nature of the incident or the specific protective adjustments implemented, citing national security confidentiality requirements.

When contacted by the Express for additional context, Guevarro verified the event but declined to share operational specifics. “I can confirm that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service responded to a security-related matter last Friday which required enhanced protective measures at Parliament and for a small number of Government officials,” he said. “The TTPS acted out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with established national security protocols. Given the nature of the matter, and consistent with our obligations under national security, I am not at liberty to disclose operational details of the incident, the TTPS’ response, or specifics regarding individuals. What I can assure is that the TTPS continues to actively assess all risks and will adjust protective measures as required to ensure the safety of our national institutions and our citizens.”

Notably, the security alert coincided with an official two-day visit to Port of Spain by India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who met with lawmakers at Parliament, held bilateral diplomatic talks, and oversaw a donation of laptops to local school children during his trip.

Jeremie’s announcement of the incident came as he defended recent remarks by Defence Minister Wayne Sturge, who last week linked the high-profile murders of a nine-year-old girl in Morvant and a two-year-old boy in Belmont to ongoing gang violence in constituencies held by the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM). The exchange has reignited heated political debate over the government’s response to rising gang-related crime across the country.

Opposition Member of Parliament Stuart Young, who represents the Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West constituency, formally requested last week that Guevarro order police to interview Sturge to extract details on who he believes is responsible for the children’s killings. In his address, Jeremie framed the government’s anti-crime push as an open “war” against organized criminal elements, acknowledging that the conflict would bring setbacks and tragic losses.

“And quite recently we have had in fact a couple truly terrible days, days in which we saw the murder of innocent children, a nine-year-old girl, a two-year-old baby. We grieve with these families and we grieve with all of the families who experience inexplicable loss of loved ones in this community,” he said.

Pointing to the ongoing and recently renewed state of emergency (SoE) across the country, Jeremie called the measure the administration’s formal “declaration of war” against gangs. He emphasized that the government is pursuing a multifaceted strategy to achieve long-term public safety, rejecting the chaotic governance he claimed marked the PNM’s final term in office. “Our targets in this war are gangs, criminal enterprises,” he said.

The Attorney General called out specific gang activity in Belmont neighborhoods including Belle Eau Road and Serraneau Road — areas where he and Sturge both grew up — as well as in Westmoorings, Goodwood Park, and other unnamed constituencies. He repeatedly criticized Young, who served as National Security Minister from 2018 to 2021 and was a member of the National Security Council when Trinidad and Tobago posted a record-high annual murder toll in 2024. Jeremie labeled Young’s tenure a legacy of “failure, bloodshed, and empty rhetoric,” echoing Sturge’s recent description of Young as the worst national security minister in the nation’s recent history, adding only that there was open debate over whether Young’s successor was even less effective.

Jeremie noted that the current United National Congress (UNC) administration has recorded 325 murders in 2025, and acknowledged that the battle against gang crime will not be resolved quickly. Even so, he highlighted ongoing progress made by Sturge, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, and the TTPS in dismantling criminal networks. He argued that gang-related violence escalated steadily after the PNM took office in 2015, and said the current UNC government is committed to dismantling the criminal foundations the previous administration allowed to take root.

Drawing on his personal ties to the Belmont community, Jeremie noted that he and Sturge were raised in the area, where he was cared for by a local resident while his parents worked, and that Sturge has direct, lived experience with the impact of gang activity on local families. “No red sneakers and red cap and red jersey can make you a citizen of Belle Eau Road and Serraneau Road,” he said, dismissing Young’s connection to the community.

He accused the PNM of allowing unregulated gun trafficking, drug trade, and disinvestment that left young people marginalized and vulnerable to gang recruitment, creating the current crisis the nation now faces. In contrast, he said the UNC government is working to build a fair, effective justice system and launch targeted community programs to engage at-risk youth and prevent further violence.