Trinidad police pledges continued operations as SOE detainees walk free

Trinidad and Tobago police say investigations continue despite PDO releases. Officers will maintain visibility in high-risk areas as the State of Emergency nears its end.

TTPS vows evidence-based policing as State of Emergency winds down

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is prepared to maintain public safety as detainees held under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) are released ahead of the expected end of the State of Emergency later this month, thestkittsnevisobserver.com reports.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Suzette Martin, said in a statement on Saturday that the revocation of a PDO does not, in itself, provide a basis for police action against the individual concerned. She was clear, however, that a release does not signal the end of any ongoing investigation.

"Where a person remains the subject of an active investigation, the TTPS will continue to gather evidence and pursue that investigation to its proper conclusion, whether during the State of Emergency or after it has been lifted. Any further action will be founded on evidence and taken strictly in accordance with the law," Martin said.

Martin added that police divisions, intelligence units, investigative and operational branches have been coordinating to manage the transition, with the policing response guided by intelligence, evidence and the law.

"I want to reassure the national community that the TTPS has made the necessary operational preparations to manage this transition and to maintain public safety," she said.

Officers will be deployed in areas identified through internal assessments as requiring targeted attention. Martin said the TTPS will continue efforts to disrupt illegal firearms, gang activity and other serious criminal threats, while protecting victims, witnesses and vulnerable communities.

She also assured the public that officers are expected to conduct themselves professionally and proportionately, respecting the rights of all individuals throughout the process.

Several individuals detained under PDOs issued during the current State of Emergency have already been released as the emergency period draws to a close. Legal challenges stemming from the use of preventive detention powers remain before the courts.

The TTPS is urging members of the public to remain calm and to cooperate with police by reporting criminal activity and immediate threats.

"The emergency powers may change. Our responsibility to public safety does not," Martin said.

Source: Google News TT — Crime