00:00And Tobago's state of emergency comes to an end tonight after 199 days.
00:05The Commissioner of Police is sending a stark warning to persons who were detained under preventative detention orders.
00:12Arista Guevara was speaking as he opened a new micro-police post at Grand Bazaar,
00:17where police also sought to reassure the public that low enforcement visibility will continue after the SOE ends.
00:25A stark warning for those held previously under preventive detention orders.
00:30It comes from Commissioner of Police Alistair Guevara as he inspects and declares open the micro-police post at Grand
00:38Bazaar.
00:39I hope and pray that those gentlemen who are coming out today and who would have been released before
00:44would pay attention that the operational posture of the TTPS is quite different to when they went in.
00:51The state of emergency declared on March 3rd comes to an end at midnight tonight after 199 days in effect.
01:00Today is the last day of the state of emergency.
01:03And if you look at the transition of what is going on and you pay attention,
01:08today is actually the operationalization of the micro-police unit.
01:13You see that pattern here?
01:15I've seen that pattern.
01:16Right.
01:16So this anti-crime strategy of law enforcement is coming together smoothly and seamlessly,
01:23right in front of the eyes of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:25And, you know, we want to allow the public to understand that we are not about reactive policing,
01:35we are about proactive policing and taking it to the criminals.
01:39Trinidad and Tobago has spent much of the past 14 to 16 months on the successive states of emergency,
01:46with the previous one beginning on July 18, 2025 and ending on January 31, 2026.
01:55That's before the current SOE began on March 3rd.
01:59Deputy Police Commissioner in Charge of Operations Suzette Martin is also at hand,
02:03maintaining that police remain a resolute force against the criminal element.
02:08So the intention in opening the Grand Bazaar police micro-unit is to have the committee
02:14have a closer engagement with the police officers,
02:17also to have that police visibility which is necessary at this time.
02:21As we come to the end of the SOE No. 1 of 2026,
02:27the job of the police officer is not done,
02:29but we continue through Operation Watch Tower 2026 and the watch continues.
02:35Meanwhile, as government prepares to pass zones of special operation legislation,
02:40which requires policemen operating in closed areas to wear body cameras,
02:45the top cop is highlighting issues they face with the equipment.
02:50Balancing or the stock wouldn't really be an issue because they're already deployed
02:53to the frontline policing officers.
02:55The problem with the stock of body cams is that the battery charge is only about an hour and a
03:01half to two hours.
03:02So even if a patrol goes out,
03:04at the time we reach an hour and a half, the battery goes dead.
03:25However, he assures the public that efforts are offered
03:29to procure the necessary cameras to police those areas.
03:33Ravishita Mwari Ruknarai, TV6 News.
03:35Now, those stories bring us to tonight's PeopleMeter.
03:38Tonight we ask,
03:40are you satisfied that there is an anti-crime plan in place
03:43as a follow-up to the state of emergency?
03:46To vote, text the SOE No to the number 766-4886 or 766-4TV6.
03:53We'll have the results for you at the end of this newscast.
03:56Still do.
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