Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has declared a new State of Public Emergency (SoE), effective Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following what she described as a surge in violent gang-related crime and credible intelligence of planned attacks on members of the protective services.

In a statement issued Monday night, Persad-Bissessar said the National Security Council met at the Diplomatic Centre and received security briefings from Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro, Chief of Defence Staff Don Polo, and Strategic Services Agency head Alicia Henry.

According to the Prime Minister, the Council noted that since the previous SoE ended on January 31, there has been an increase in violent criminal activity across the country, much of it attributed to organised criminal gangs. She said several of the recent incidents involved mass shootings and multiple fatalities, with reprisal attacks threatening to spiral further if left unchecked.