Despite what he described as drops in several categories of crime, including murders, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro says the successes of the TTPS often go unnoticed in the face of cynical social media users.
Guevarro quoted several figures from the police Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) branch during his feature address at Conversations with the Commissioner, a forum at the T&T Chamber of Commerce, Westmoorings, on Thursday morning, where he reported drops in Serious Reported Crimes (SRCs) and violent crimes across several police divisions.
Guevarro reported that there were 370 murders in 2025, the lowest national murder toll since 2011, when a State of Emergency (SoE) was declared.
He said the number of homicides dropped by 42 per cent compared with the final figure for 2024, when 626 murders were reported.
Additionally, he said that, based on figures presented at the TTPS Compstat meeting on Tuesday, this year’s figures continue to trend downward, with a 13 per cent drop in murders.
He lamented that despite these declines, the fear of crime persists, which he blamed on persons on social media whom he accused of having an agenda.
Describing these detractors as “keyboard warriors”, Guevarro said these people were unwilling to give credit to the TTPS even when improvements in crime and public safety were clear.
“They criticise the police when the homicides drop, they criticise us when the serious crimes drop and they criticise us when the Carnival recorded a historically low (number of crimes), so no matter what you do in regards to crime, they will criticise, so we learn to accept that.
“They criticise the TTPS even when the country achieved the 42 per cent reduction in 2025, which is the second largest annual percentage reduction in the world. The only other country to reduce homicides higher was El Salvador and we all know what El Salvador had to do, they have been under a State of Emergency since 2022.
“Why aren’t people feeling that? Why isn’t anyone talking about that? Because fear has gripped this country for so long that we can’t even see when change is coming.”
Guevarro argued that the fear and panic surrounding crime were just as bad as crime itself, as he questioned why some people were so reluctant to believe that TTPS crime reduction efforts were bearing fruit.
Referring to critics who raised concerns over the efficacy of the ongoing SoE, Guevarro challenged them to state their own evidence as to why they felt the regulations were unsuccessful.
“We the TTPS are able to utilise the extra powers given to us by the SoE to take a few of them (criminals) off the street and look at the results you are seeing in front of you.
“These are not the results of failure, they are the results of pressure, disruption and relentless enforcement, so when next you hear someone say the SoE has failed, ask them this… failed according to whom? According to what evidence? Because the statistics tell a different story.”
Notwithstanding these figures, Guevarro acknowledged that the police could not realistically be expected to prevent every murder, noting that, given the unpredictable nature of human behaviour, some people would inevitably be killed.
“We can’t predict that a man is going to commit a homicide and go and arrest him before. So people will kill other people, but we are ensuring that we are able to protect, with the resources that we have, the majority of the country.”
BOX
Serious Reported Crimes dropped from 3,413 in 2025 to 2,397 in 2026 for the same period, a 30 per cent reduction
Violent crimes dropped from 1,219 in 2025 to 829, a 32 per cent national reduction
Divisional crime reduction in SRCs
* North Eastern Division had a 55 per cent reduction
* Tobago Division had a 41 per cent reduction
* Eastern Division had a 40 per cent reduction
* Northern Division had a 40 per cent reduction
* Central Division had a 34 per cent reduction
* Southern Division had a 32 per cent reduction
