The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has raised concerns over the growing number of fatal police-involved shootings that have occurred since the declaration of a State of Emergency (SoE) in Trinidad and Tobago.
In a statement issued this week, the PCA noted that five men have been killed during confrontations with law enforcement in just five days since the SoE came into effect. The oversight body emphasized that it is actively monitoring the situation and will investigate each incident in line with its mandate.
“In the five days since the state of emergency has commenced, there have been five incidents of police-involved fatal shootings. The PCA is actively monitoring these occurrences and is committed to thoroughly investigating each incident, in accordance with its legislative mandate,” the Authority said.
It added, “The PCA remains steadfast in its role as an independent oversight body and continues to call for accountability, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law in all police interactions with members of the public; particularly in periods of heightened security operations.”
Despite the rising death toll, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander said he had no concerns about the number of people killed in encounters with law enforcement. Speaking in defense of the government’s actions, he stressed that threats directed at national security officers must be treated seriously.
“These officers are persons who have chosen to protect and serve and defend your country, while others chose a life of crime. It doesn’t add up,” Alexander said.
He challenged critics of the government’s approach, asking whether authorities should wait for threats to materialize before acting.
“Are they saying that we should wait until the threats have been carried out first, before we should act? Should we wait until persons have been injured or hurt or even killed?” he said. “Or should we seek after those who [are] making the threat before they do anything that can endanger or harm law-abiding citizens?”
The minister affirmed that the Government would “defend this nation by any means necessary,” reiterating that law enforcement officers are under direct threat and should be able to protect themselves.
“For the past ten years, murders after murders after murders. Sometimes we saw 80 in a month,” Alexander continued. “Yet when confronted by law enforcement, there is an uptick. The officers will respond when they are confronted by the criminal elements who, because of their behaviour, continue to invite their own deaths.”
Addressing the possibility of criticism from oversight bodies like the PCA, Alexander said: “They can say what they want. Tell me, who [were] the ones threatened? Was it not police and prison officers? Was it any other body? People never know it till they feel it. And right now, the ones under pressure are the police and prison officers. They are the ones who are directly in the line of fire. Who are under threat.”
He concluded by stating that the Government will continue to fully support law enforcement officers, so long as they act within the limits of the law.
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