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A safe space for common sense.

Contextualising local news beyond the limits of our infamous nine-day memory.
Pinned
What they haven’t said is how they plan to use their new powers only on those individuals.

How does one impose a curfew on criminals only?

Read the rest: fwiwblog.com/the-soes-oth...

9/9
You know, it's not that the TTPS union head isn't raising valid concerns here. It's that his determined silence on the disturbing amount of corruption difficult their ranks makes it hard to take him seriously.
January 5, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The SoE tribunal has been appointed.
January 5, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Maybe the next TSTT chairman will release the report on the cyberattack? 🤞🏾🙏🏾
January 5, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Is it me or are we seeing a lot of stories about children ending up seriously hurt (or worse) while they should've been under adult supervision lately?
January 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Again, when you say "law-abiding citizens" have nothing to fear from a TTPS that has a history of abusing its power against law-abiding citizens... What are you really saying?

(Also, can we get an update on how many of the 126 arrestees have been charged?)
January 5, 2025 at 2:45 PM
You see this? We have to stop it. It's amazing how many of us have little interest in minding the business of our country but never miss an opportunity to be disgusting about real-life trauma.

The only aspect of this tragedy that is relevant to the general public is that report.
January 5, 2025 at 2:44 PM
As we're talking so much about effective crime strategies these days, this article from November reminded me of two others linked below.

They actually know how to address our issues, inno.
January 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM
It is bizarre to respond to police corruption the same way you treat with the public's willingness to assist in the fight against crime. Because the TTPS is legally empowered and armed to UPHOLD the law.

It's even wilder to do that at a time when you've EXPANDED their powers.
January 5, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Gotta respect a leader who knows when to step aside. Here's hoping he's been preparing someone to take up the mantle and that they're ready to make the changes necessary to support T&T's development.
January 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
And then there's the SSA angle which, apparently, senior security officials seem to think makes a whole lot of sense.

You see that part about CCTV cameras that don't record? What are we really doing? WHY would that be the case?
January 3, 2025 at 11:57 AM
It's a shame that domestic violence wasn't on the long list of crimes shared by the Nat Sec Minister and CoP to justify the SoE.
January 3, 2025 at 11:37 AM
The gag is that he's not wrong, but to challenge specific parts of the SoE regulations for being unconstitutional is kind of funny given that the overall point of the SoE is to suspend constitutional rights.
January 3, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Wait, so he wasn't involved in an active prosecution wrt this specific "gang war" (though he was prosecuting other "gang-related" matters), but the relevant case fell apart for "want of prosecution?"

And the defendant's lawyers say the video evidence contradicted the gun charge?
January 3, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Oh look: it's a Senior Counsel and head of the Criminal Bar Association calling for the government to quietly revoke citizens' constitutional rights in order to get a handle on crime.
January 2, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Do you know how bad things have to be for prosecutors to be slain in the street?

Do you know how things get to be bad enough for this to happen, even as the armed forces are empowered by an SoE?
January 2, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Is it not concerning for the Police Commissioner to declare that the TTPS is struggling to collect enough evidence to lay charges after arrests?

Shouldn't they be able to prove the charges they'd like to apply? Because if they can't... how will they stand in court?
January 2, 2025 at 12:23 PM
The SoE’s Other Law-Abiding Citizens

Yesterday, I wrote a post warning the average Trinbagonian about the dangers of assuming that we’ll be considered law-abiding in a situation where the laws were being changed on the fly.
🧵👇🏾1/9
January 1, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Section by section breakdowns of the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2024👇🏾
January 1, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Interesting place to end a story about suspects allegedly bribing and threatening police officers.

Are they being charged? With what? Are their offenses bailable? Are the threats credible?
January 1, 2025 at 12:11 PM
And there it is: the reason why the government saw fit to suspend constitutional rights in order for the TTPS to address the situation.

Unfortunately, it only underscores questions about what will happen when the SoE is lifted.
January 1, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Abdullah's not wrong here. In fact, violent crime is but a symptom of the other emergencies we're so committed to ignoring that we've consented to having our constitutional rights suspended on the promise that we (the law-abiding general public) will have nothing to fear.
January 1, 2025 at 11:36 AM
So much to unpack from yesterday's TTPS/TTDF presser:

- The expansion of the SoE's focus from high-powered weapons possession to other crimes
- The broad goal of making citizens feel safe
- The arrest of 46 ppl 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 the regulations were clearly explained to the public
🧵
January 1, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Who’s a “Law-Abiding Citizen” in an SoE?

Now that the regulations have finally dropped, the law-abiding citizens of Trinidad and Tobago can rest assured that they have nothing to fear from the SoE, just as Young and Hinds assured us yesterday, right?

Well...
🧵👇🏾 1/5
December 31, 2024 at 1:43 PM
T&T's Real SoE

The week between Christmas and New Year's is supposed to be a liminal space where time isn't real and nothing meaningful happens because the old year is pretty much done and the new one eh quite reach yet.

🧵👇🏾 1/7
December 30, 2024 at 9:32 PM
If the secret plan to address homelessness doesn't include a drive to address the 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 of it, they'll be spinning top in mud (and wasting our money in the process).
December 30, 2024 at 1:26 PM