No limited state of emergency (SOE) and no community lock downs will be included in a national security alert state of readiness, National Security Minister Gary Griffith gave the assurance yesterday. The ministry has put all law enforcement agencies on high alert because of an increase in gang-related homicides early in the new year. In the first four days of 2015, ten murders were recorded.
Asked if the security alert would include a limited SOE and community lock downs, an irritated Griffith said, “There is no such thing as a limited state of emergency. “That is a very ridiculous statement. A state of emergency is a state of emergency, curfew or not. “You can’t have a curfew unless you have a state of emergency.” He said the national security alert would not include an SOE.
Asked if there would be community lock downs, he replied, “No.” As for what measures the security alert would include, he said that was already revealed in a comprehensive press release last Friday and he referred the Guardian to it. The ministry said the alert state was led by the Police Service and the National Operations Centre and was necessary to rapidly bring the crime situation under control.
“This current alert state of readiness is in no way intended to curtail civil liberties but has become necessary to ensure the safety and security for all,” Griffith said. The last four murders took place in separate incidents over the weekend. Four men were shot dead in Carenage, Biche, San Juan and St James.
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Measures include the following:
• Increased joint police/defence force patrols throughout T&T
• Increased air patrols in support of police ground initiatives
• Increased roadblocks and stop-and-search activities
• Increased intelligence and surveillance exercises, specifically in all crime hot spots, and among persons of interest.