Home Affairs Minister Hopes There’ll be No More Need for SOEs

Over the years, states of emergency (S.O.E.s) have played a role in lowering the murder rate, but they also strip away the rights of citizens who fall under suspicious profiles or are suspected gang members. These individuals can be detained by the state for as long as necessary to maintain or restore peace. However, today, Minister of Police Kareem Musa shared his hope with the media that there won’t be a need for an S.O.E. in 2025.

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“The latter part specifically of 2024, demonstrates to us that peace is possible within the streets of really city and other parts of the country where we have gang related crimes. I am hopeful that we will not be needing an SOE because I think a lot of these young men.  are many of them are members of the LIU program can see that the government is going above and beyond to provide alternatives for them, whether it is skills training, whether it is, um, sporting activities, whether it is a job, these are all things aimed at offering alternatives to gang-related offenses.”

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Like Minister have said to you, as a department, we employ every tool possible to secure the peace of our people.  SOE is not something that we use willingly. It is something that we use sparingly and in exceptional circumstances. If the need should present itself that we need an SOE, certainly, I’ll be the first to recommend the minister to do it because at the end of the day We must do what is right to secure our people including to  secure those same young men who have issues with each other. I can tell you that even sometimes their own family members are asking for it because they believe that if it is not believe they’re going to lose their loved ones. So if the need presents itself, yes, but if there’s not a need to do it, then we would happily move on without any SOE.”