For over a decade, Trinidad and Tobago has lived in a constant state of emergency. Not the kind that gets declared in Parliament, but the kind that slowly seeps into every part of national life. Crime, fear, and public distrust have become everyday facts. The murders, robberies, home invasions, and street shootouts have moved from headlines to habits. We are not responding to emergencies. We are surviving inside one.
Right now, no one feels safe. In February, a mother and her son were gunned down while leaving a wake in Arima. In Couva, schoolchildren were caught in crossfire. In Chaguanas, elderly women are attacked on their front steps. In Mayaro, farmers take turns sleeping to guard their land. And in Port of Spain, daylight gang warfare has forced entire communities to live indoors.
This is not normal. It is not acceptable. And it is not a problem we can pass on to the next administration.
We are dealing with a total breakdown of public trust in law enforcement. Across the country, people have stopped reporting crimes. They no longer believe anything will come of it. The evidence is in the growing silence of witnesses, the unwillingness to file reports, and the visible fear of retaliation. This is now public knowledge and reflects just how far confidence in the system has fallen.
What we have is not just a crime wave. It is national paralysis. The police are stretched thin. The public is scared. And the Government’s credibility is on the line.
But here is the truth. It does not have to stay this way. This administration still has time to act and do far better than the one before it.
We need to stop managing crime through PR and start rebuilding the operational core of policing. The public does not want another slogan. They want results. Citizens are tired of plans that look good on paper but never reach the ground. There is a difference between talking tough on crime and doing the hard, unglamorous work that brings down murder rates and protects ordinary people.
The E999 Rapid Response system must be restored with urgency. The 999 line must work, with trained dispatchers and functioning patrol units across every division. Highways like the Solomon Hochoy, the Uriah Butler, and the Churchill-Roosevelt need consistent 24/7 patrols. We cannot allow motorists to be stranded and robbed while help remains unavailable.
Police officers must be allowed to take official reports on the spot. When someone is assaulted in Gasparillo or robbed in El Socorro, they should not be told to visit the station. They should receive a report receipt and follow-up within hours, not days.
Stations must operate 24/7 with full staffing. That means proper shift structures, working vehicles, scanning equipment, and access to K9 units where needed. Every district must display emergency contact signage so the public knows who to call and who is in charge. There is no excuse in 2025 for a citizen to call a station and get no answer.
Policing must also meet people where they are. Officers should be seen and heard at PTAs, market days, village council meetings, and farmer groups. Every rural district needs a police liaison who knows the terrain, the people, and the threats. Community knowledge is still one of the most effective tools in modern policing. We must use it.
Farmers with clean records and proven leadership should be appointed as rural constables and supported with proper larceny squads. These teams need real mobility, not just a desk and a form. Praedial larceny continues to devastate rural livelihoods, and yet many communities have no practical way to get quick assistance from law enforcement.
Community Comfort Patrols should be brought back and restructured to fit today’s security realities. Community Police must move beyond token outreach. They should actively identify at-risk families and step in early with support.
Senior officers, from the rank of Sergeant and above, must stay in contact with school principals, religious leaders, business owners, and medical professionals in their areas. Give them proper phones and hold them accountable. Too many of our districts feel leaderless. That has to change.
And let us not forget the core of it all: public confidence. Officers must wear the uniform with purpose. They must act with integrity, enforce the law without fear or favour, and rebuild trust with the people they serve.
These are not abstract aspirations. These are practical steps that can start now. They do not require constitutional change. They require political will, competent management, and a budget that prioritises safety.
The last administration failed to act boldly. They waited too long, blamed too often, and treated crime as a talking point. This administration cannot afford to make the same mistake. Public safety is the foundation of every other priority. If people do not feel safe, nothing else works.
So here is the challenge to this government. Do better. Be the ones to turn this around. Prove that leadership still counts in this country. Show that crime can be reduced, that trust can be rebuilt, and that fear can be replaced by confidence.
Let us stop pretending this is normal. It is not. But it can be fixed, if we act now.
Rushton Paray is a former member
of Parliament for Mayaro.
