Emergency stated in Trinidad and Tobago for a fatal year

Emergency stated in Trinidad and Tobago for a fatal year

Trinidad and Tobago proclaimed the emergency after a series of killing contributed to an extremely deadly year for the Caribbean nation last weekend. This drastic measure was announced on Monday by the Prime Minister Keith Rowley's office. It enables the police to search persons and premises without searching for a search and capture suspects for up to 48 hours in order to reduce the "unacceptable high" crime rate.

no output lock despite an emergency

Despite the emergency measures, however, there will be no output lock. The decision was made after the shot was demanding several lives over the weekend. The number of murder for 2024 is 623 - the highest level since the beginning of the police records in 2013.

High Mudrates and gear power

Trinidad and Tobago, with a population of 1.5 million, already has one of the highest murder rates in the Caribbean, next to Jamaica and Haiti, according to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). The violent deaths in the region are almost three times as high as the worldwide average.

The police warn that the number of gang -related violent crimes that involve powerful storm weapons will increase. The incumbent Attorney General Stuart Young reported at a press conference on Monday that there were already 61 murder cases in December alone. These included a shootout on Saturday with a high -caliber weapon in front of a police station in which a person died, as well as an incident less than 24 hours later, in which five people were dead and one injured.

burglary of gait power

Minister of national security, Fitzgerald Hinds, said in the same press conference that two other people were killed on Friday - one in a gang -related incident, the other in a "domestic situation" - and since last Monday 15 other people have been killed in weapon -related incidents. The police see the youngest wave of incidents as a "outbreak of gear power" and announced that the military would help to enforce the emergency.

worrying use of high -caliber weapons

Attorney General Young added that the use of high -caliber weapons by criminal gangs made the recent violence particularly worrying, which led to the explanation of the emergency. "The chances of survival are extremely low due to the speed and caliber of these weapons. This is not only for us here in Trinidad and Tobago, but also a great concern for the entire Caricom region," says Young.

Connection between violence and drug trafficking

A significant part of violent crimes in the country-such as murder, raids and kidnappings-is related to criminal gang activity and drug trafficking, according to the US State Department. In July, the Foreign Ministry classified the travel warning for Trinidad and Tobago at level 3, which asks US citizens to rethink their trips due to crime. "Increased caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to terrorism and kidnapping," warns the travel warning.

collaboration with the USA to combat crime

The Attorney General stated that the government has contact with the United States, from which many of the high -ranking weapons come to discuss how the situation can be controlled. While the Caribbean countries do not produce firearms, more than 7,000 firearms from these countries were secured between 2018 and 2022. According to the GAO, almost three quarters of these weapons came from the USA.

Report by CNNS Michael Rios supports this message.