- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 21/Jul 03:22

Top cop ask citizens: Support police during SoE

Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro is asking for the public to support officers during the state of emergency. In a release on July 20, the top cop said the service is using covert operations and strategic intelligence to shift policing from being a reactive tool of enforcement to “proactive disruption.” “This is not just policing; it’s precision-guided intervention.” However, he said these gains are only sustainable through partnership, which is why he urged citizens to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement during this critical juncture. “Let us reject the noise of naysayers and keyboard warriors, individuals who flood mainstream and social media with unsolicited commentary, yet lack any credible policing experience. Most have never arrested a suspect, laid a charge, or faced the sobering accountability of a courtroom. “This moment demands unity, not distraction. When we support our officers and amplify the truth over speculation, we strengthen our communities and reaffirm our collective commitment to safety and progress.” The commissioner’s plea comes amidst public criticism for the country’s second state of emergency within seven months. While Guevarro previously explained the heightened alert state was recommended to offer police additional powers to thwart a plot brewing behind bars, political opponents to the newly installed UNC administration have labelled the move as an admission of failure. Opposition leader Pennelope Beckles condemned the move as being the government’s only plan to deal with crime, despite heavy emphasis on having crime-fighting strategies on the campaign trail leading up to the April 28 polls. She also criticised the rationales given for the state of emergency as being inconsistent. She said while the top cop said it was mainly for the plot in the prisons with outside parties, Attorney General John Jeremie said at a press conference it was that plus to treat with a surge in homicides (which Guevarro dismissed earlier) and gang violence. She said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar also took credit for initiating the form of martial law even though Guevarro earlier said he recommended it. "What we are seeing is not leadership, it is a galloping slide into authoritarianism. What we are witnessing is an alarming admission of failure. A government that campaigned for nearly ten years in Opposition with bold promises to fix crime using its comprehensive, actionable plan to combat crime,” Beckles said. While former commissioner of police and National Transformation Alliance founder Gary Griffith condemned the manner in which the emergency was called, he also questioned the need for it. “The threat is confined to specific individuals and locations. You don't call a state of emergency across the country for a problem inside one prison. That’s not strategy: it’s panic.” Patriotic Front political leader Mickela Panday described the state of emergency as a short-term plan but said truly addressing crime requires reformation, prison oversight, anti-corruption crackdowns, youth intervention, and real gun control. The post Top cop ask citizens: Support police during SoE appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.