Tue Dec 31 01:32:32 UTC 2024: ## Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency Amidst Murder Spike

**Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago –** Trinidad and Tobago declared a two-day state of emergency on December 31, 2024, in response to a sharp increase in murders attributed to criminal gang activity. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s office, follows advice from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the National Security Council citing heightened criminal activity endangering public safety.

Attorney General Stuart Young revealed that December alone saw 61 murders, bringing the 2024 total to 623 – a significant rise from 577 in 2023 and 599 in 2022. He clarified that the state of emergency, while granting police the authority to conduct warrantless searches and arrests, will not include a curfew or restrict movement to minimize economic disruption. A judge can extend the warrantless search and arrest authorization for up to seven days.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds described the surge in violent crime, including 551 shootings this year (as of December 26th), as an “epidemic” for the island nation of 1.4 million. Recent incidents cited included the fatal shooting of a man outside a police station on December 28th and a five-person shooting in Laventille on December 29th.

While a state of emergency was previously declared in 2011 due to similar concerns, that declaration was geographically limited to high-crime areas. This latest measure represents a broader response to the escalating violence gripping the country.

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