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  • 11 months ago
The Prime Minister is calling on police officers not to condone rogue elements in the Police Service, especially as the police have broadened powers during the State of Emergency.

This as the Prime Minister also spoke about the broader powers of the Defence Force during the S-o-E.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as the head of the government and as the chairman of the
00:04National Security Council had a message for the public about the state of emergency as
00:09he pointed out that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has 8,000 officers.
00:15It is mathematically and logistically impossible for 8,000 officers to close, close mark 1.3
00:23million people to be there at the time when a criminal challenges you.
00:27So to say the police should, they're not magicians.
00:31They work hard as they should, they would need help in the form of information and cooperation
00:37and if rogue officers destroy that trust as they have been doing, then it makes the work
00:46of the police officers harder and it even puts their lives at risk.
00:52So do not tolerate rogue officers in the ranks.
00:55The state of emergency, according to the government, allows for searches without warrant
01:00with the goals of tackling criminal gang activity and an increase in the seizure of illegal
01:06guns and ammunition.
01:07The same way you are asking people to say something and do it with security of handing
01:14over the information, you should be able to do that within the police service about your
01:19colleagues and help us to clean up the police service so that in situations like these,
01:24the public wouldn't have that overriding concern, that giving police this power.
01:30And not only the police, the state of emergency has added a large number of other state personnel
01:39to that fight.
01:40The Prime Minister also had a direct message for Trinidad and Tobago's military personnel
01:44on Friday as he spoke about the powers granted to them under the state of emergency now in
01:50effect early in 2025.
01:53The defense force personnel are now to act with the powers of police officers.
01:59Whereas before, they would go on a patrol and they would have one police officer with
02:05the patrol to ensure that the law is covered, but the soldiers were not police officers.
02:12The state of emergency gives that power for intervention because we deem it necessary
02:19at this time.
02:20It is temporary.
02:21The Prime Minister also defended the government's decision not to include a curfew or a ban
02:26on public gatherings during the state of emergency.
02:29As he said, the nation's economy was taken into consideration.
02:34Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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